Calculating Car Velocity and Pendulum Forces in a Turn: A Scientific Approach

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a scenario where a car takes a turn with a radius of 20 meters, and a pendulum inside the car shifts at an angle of 37 degrees. Participants are tasked with calculating the car's velocity and identifying the forces acting on the pendulum.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the forces acting on the pendulum, including weight and tension, and question how these forces relate to the pendulum's motion in a circular path. There is also discussion about the relevance of the string length and the initial position of the pendulum.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the forces involved and the nature of centripetal acceleration. Others express confusion regarding the problem's setup and the implications of the pendulum's angle. Multiple interpretations of the problem are being explored, with no explicit consensus reached.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the initial position of the pendulum and the implications of the car's shift at 37 degrees. The problem does not specify whether the pendulum's motion is influenced by other factors, leading to varied interpretations among participants.

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A car takes a turn, radius = 20 m. Meanwhile a pendulum inside the car shifts 37 degree. Find the velocity of the car and find all the forces acting on the pendulum.

How to solve this? It doesn't mention from what position the pendulum starts...
 
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Assume the pendulum is a bob on the end of a string.
The bob is moving in a circle of radius r = 20m.

What are the forces acting on the bob ?
 
I forgot to mention that the length of the string is 0.10 m... I'm affraid you got me lost...
 
You don't actually need the length of the string to answer your problem about the car's velocity.

There are only two forces acting on the bob, the weight of the bob itself, and the tension in the string.
The bob is supported vertically and the bob is moving in a circle so must have a centripetal acceleration. How does the tension in the string provide both (vertical) support for the bob and centripetal acceleration/force on the bob ?

Edit: the bob isn't supported vertically. That implies the string is straight up and down. The string is only vertical if the bob is moving in a straight line at constant velocity. Since it is moving in a circle, its inertia will tend to make it swing outwards from the vertical and away from the centre of rotation. BTW, this is a problem on centripetal force/acceleration.
 
Last edited:
Actually I think in relationship with a passenger, I think only gravity and the tension of the string acts on the pendulum. This is like comparing the Earth and a person. Well thinking of I think the question it pretty awkward. Maybe the real meaning is that the car shifts 37 degree and I only need to find the period to determine to velocity of the car. Does this seems right or not?
 
Do you know how to add two Force vectors? That's what you have ...

Why do you think we might want to add them?
 
I amended my earlier post. Please see Edit.
 

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