Recent content by SigmaForce

There are literally an infinite number of ways to solve any trig identity, but some are "better", more logical, or quicker than others. The beautiful solutions are the ones that are esoteric. That being said, factoring out the negative is what I saw on my first try.

I just did it. Start on the left side, simplify everything to sin and cos. Factor out a negative somewhere in there, then cross multiply, and it all works out.

The distance below the top of the tube of the plane in which the stopper is being rotated would increase. Is that what you referred to as the radial force?

Is the radial force, from the resultant force triangle, an actual force?

Force of tension, from the hanging mass, and the force of gravity. A "radial force" was never identified.

I believe that the force of tension is the only force that has a horizontal component contributing to the centripetal motion. Besides this, there is the vertical component of the force of tension from Fhanging and the force of gravity. Are you referring to a centrifugal force? The other forces...

So, in accordance with the above explanation, increasing the weight from the hanging mass, while the gravitational force acting on the stopper is a constant, increases the radial force. This makes complete and logical sense. However, what exactly do you mean by the radial force? When you say...

When two forces are acting in different directions, you do a ∑ of forces. Doesn't the greater radial force decrease the radius though? In regards to frequency, are you saying that I start swinging it faster with the hanging masses, thereby increases the centripetal acceleration?

If the force of tension is increasing, and the gravitational force is constant, the resultant force on the stopper is towards the tube, which would decrease the radius.

Well, it would pull the string down, thus exerting a downwards force.

Horizontally, or radially inwards if we are going to be more specific to the context.

The source of tension in the string below the vertical tube is equal to the weight of the hanging mass. This is the same force on the rubber stopper...but how does this increase the radius?

I don't really understand why this increases the radius though. Because even though the string moves down and causes the upper portion to be more perpendicular, once you start swinging it again doesn't it become less perpendicular?

Causes stopper to swing more perpendicular path?

Homework Statement Basically, we did a centripetal acceleration lab where a hanging mass(s) was connected to a string, run through a tube, and connected to a rubber stopper. The force of gravity of the hanging mass is what supplied the force of tension to the rubber stopper for its centripetal...