Bead on the uniformly rotating wire

In summary, Goldstein's classical mechanics book discusses the standard problem of a bead sliding on a uniformly rotating frictionless wire in free space. Despite the bead moving in an outward direction, the acceleration is still referred to as centripetal and not centrifugal. Centripetal force is the resultant force towards the center of a circle on the object in circular motion, while centrifugal force is an outwards force experienced by the person holding the object. This may not be a rigorous definition, but it provides food for thought on the concept.
  • #1
prashantphy
3
0
"bead sliding on the uniformly rotating frictionless wire in free space" is the standard problem solved in Goldstein's classical mechanics book. The bead moves in outward direction (a=rω2) still why it is called as centripetal acceleration and not centrifugal?
 
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  • #2
no answer in one month ?
 
  • #3
I am not familiar with you reference book.
What I can say is that centripetal force is the resultant force towards the centre of a circle ON the object in circular motion.
Centrifugal force is an outwards force and as an example: a stone on a string being swung in a circle, I would say the centrifugal force is the outwards force experienced by the hand at the other end of the string to the stone. It is the outwards force experienced by the person holding the string.
This is probably not a rigorous definition but I hope that it is good enough to provide food for thought !
 

What is the "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment?

The "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment is a classic physics experiment used to demonstrate the concept of centripetal acceleration. It involves a bead that is constrained to move along a wire that is rotating at a constant speed.

What are the materials needed for the experiment?

The materials needed for the "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment include a wire, a bead, a stopwatch, a ruler, and a source of rotation such as a motor or hand crank.

What is the purpose of the experiment?

The purpose of the "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment is to observe and measure the relationship between the rotational speed of the wire and the centripetal acceleration of the bead. This helps to demonstrate the principles of circular motion and centripetal force.

What factors affect the results of the experiment?

The results of the "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment can be affected by several factors, including the mass of the bead, the length and tension of the wire, and the rotational speed of the wire. Other external factors, such as air resistance, can also impact the results.

What are the real-life applications of this experiment?

The "Bead on the uniformly rotating wire" experiment has real-life applications in fields such as engineering and physics. It helps to understand the behavior of objects in circular motion, which is important in designing structures such as roller coasters and satellite orbits. It also has applications in understanding the behavior of rotating machinery.

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