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i don't quite understand the difference between the two. i know centripetal means towards the middle and centrifugal goes out but i can't quite relate that to the problems.
for example, if you are twirling a ball on a string above your head in a circle, the centripetal acceleration points towards the middle and acts on the ball? but where is the centripetal acceleration? how does that figure into it?
are they just opposite forces?
in a related problem, its dealing with those spinning carnival rides where the floor drops from below you but you don't fall due to centripetal forces.
now the question says the coefficient of friction is .30 and the radius is 2.5 m, whatis the minimum rotational speed so you don't fall...this is what i have so far:
looking at a person on the ride, you have gravity (mg) down and friction upward. to make sure he doesn't fall you set the two forces equal to each other. now the friction is equal to the 0.30 times the normal force, which i believe in this case is the force due to centripetal acceleration (pushing the guy against the wall)? is that right (or is it centrifugal?) that equals mv^2/r.
so if i set mg = mv^2/r and the m's cancel out, i can solve for v. then i can convert that into a rotational speed? is my work correct?
thanks.
for example, if you are twirling a ball on a string above your head in a circle, the centripetal acceleration points towards the middle and acts on the ball? but where is the centripetal acceleration? how does that figure into it?
are they just opposite forces?
in a related problem, its dealing with those spinning carnival rides where the floor drops from below you but you don't fall due to centripetal forces.
now the question says the coefficient of friction is .30 and the radius is 2.5 m, whatis the minimum rotational speed so you don't fall...this is what i have so far:
looking at a person on the ride, you have gravity (mg) down and friction upward. to make sure he doesn't fall you set the two forces equal to each other. now the friction is equal to the 0.30 times the normal force, which i believe in this case is the force due to centripetal acceleration (pushing the guy against the wall)? is that right (or is it centrifugal?) that equals mv^2/r.
so if i set mg = mv^2/r and the m's cancel out, i can solve for v. then i can convert that into a rotational speed? is my work correct?
thanks.