# [SOLVED] Giant Swing, Uniform Circular Motion

by clope023
Tags: circular, giant, motion, solved, swing, uniform
 P: 574 1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data The "Giant Swing" at a county fair consists of a vertical central shaft with a number of horizontal arms attached at its upper end. Each arm supports a seat suspended from a cable 5.00 long, the upper end of the cable being fastened to the arm at a point 3.00 from the central shaft. A) Find the time of one revolution of the swing if the cable supporting a seat makes an angle of with the vertical. B) Does the angle depend on the weight of the passenger for a given rate of revolution? 2. Relevant equations R = Lsin(\theta) v = $$\sqrt{gtan(\theta)R}$$ T = 2$$\Pi$$R/v 3. The attempt at a solution tried using L = 3+5m*sin($$\theta$$)) to get 4m R then equals = 2m v then equals = $$\sqrt{9.8*2*tan\theta}$$ = 11.3m/s T then equals 2$$\Pi$$(2m)/11.3m/s = 1.1s wrong I tried a few other combinations where I used 3+(5sintheta) as the L and got T=4.4s which was wrong as well. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I think I have the correct equations and I know I have the right angle and distances, I guess I'm just not sure how to derive the right length and and radius. I'm also thinking that for part B the weight will determine the angle that the seat swings, but I don't want to risk losing the only chance I have on that part of the problem (masteringphysics). any and all help is greatly appreciated.
P: 280
You might want to go back and look at this bit again:
 Quote by clope023 [b]L = 3+5m*sin($$\theta$$)) to get 4m R then equals = 2m
sin(30) = 0.5, so 5*0.5 + 3 = 5.5m, and you don't need to divide it by 2, because that is the radius, not the diameter.
 PF Patron HW Helper Sci Advisor P: 5,802 It appears that you are confusing L with R. If L is the length of the cable, then what is R, which is the radius measured from the passenger to the central shaft? Also, if you draw a free body diagram and use Newton's laws, it will help to see whether or not the the mass comes into play. You shouldn't blindly be using a formula..
P: 574

## [SOLVED] Giant Swing, Uniform Circular Motion

 Quote by PhanthomJay It appears that you are confusing L with R. If L is the length of the cable, then what is R, which is the radius measured from the passenger to the central shaft? Also, if you draw a free body diagram and use Newton's laws, it will help to see whether or not the the mass comes into play. You shouldn't blindly be using a formula..
I wrote it before, R = Lsin(30)

I was pretty sure it was the length of the cable alone (which would've been 5) I just wasn't sure where the distance of the angle of the seat from the vertical shaft (3m) played in.

if it's only length of cable alone, then R = 5(sin30) so R = 2.5m, does that seem more correct?

on the angle's dependance on the weight, I've drawn a free body diagram and it makes the sum of the forces be

(sigma)Fx = -marad + mgcos30 = 0

(sigma)Fy = T - mgsin30 = 0

so I would imagine the angle is dependant on the weight of the seat.
P: 280
 Quote by clope023 if it's only length of cable alone, then R = 5(sin30) so R = 2.5m, does that seem more correct?
Quote by lavalamp
You might want to go back and look at this bit again:
 Quote by clope023 [b]L = 3+5m*sin($$\theta$$)) to get 4m R then equals = 2m
sin(30) = 0.5, so 5*0.5 + 3 = 5.5m, and you don't need to divide it by 2, because that is the radius, not the diameter.
 P: 574 thanks, I got the answer to the first part using that radius, I wasn't picturing in my head that the swing literally makes a circle when viewed overhead and the distance of 3m + (5sin30) was the radius of that circle. now fro for the 2nd part, as I said I did a free body diagram and found the forces acting in each direction, but I'm actually still not certain, I believe the mass would cancel out from the 2 equations if I set them equal to each other, so the answer would be that it doesn't depend on the mass?
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