Centripedal acceleration and force question

In summary, when standing on the Earth's surface, there are two forces acting on a person: gravity and the normal force. The force of gravity is based on the masses of the person and the Earth, and remains the same even when the Earth is spinning. The normal force acts in the opposite direction of gravity to keep the person stationary. When the Earth is spinning, there is also a centripetal force acting towards the center, which is the force that creates the centripetal acceleration. This force is equal to the force that the person exerts on the Earth due to rotation. As the spinning speed increases, this force can become greater than the gravitational force, causing the person to be thrown off the surface.
  • #1
Lachlan1
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Homework Statement


i can't fully understand this concept. is this correct?

standing on the Earth's surface i have two forces acting on me. the force due to the fact that i have mass, and so does the earth. given by equation f = (Gm1m2)/r (this force would be acting if the Earth was not spinning) i will call this force gravity here.

then there is a normal force that the Earth is acting on me, upwards. as i am stationary, this force will countering the force i described above.

but, what about the centripedal acceleration i have (assuming i am standing on the equator),and the Earth is spinning, due to the fact that i have a tangental velocity. this acceleration is given by the equation
ac = (v^2)/r
with this acceleration acting on my mass, is this not creating another force on me too? and is this force acting in the same direction as the gravity force or the normal force.

I know that my centripedal acceleration is towards the centre of the earth, so is this the direction that the force acts as well.

i guess I am not really sure which direction the centripedal force acts in a rotational motion situation. with the bucket being spun in a circle above your head, eaxample, i thought that the reason the water does not fall from the bucket when it is above your head is that the force due to gravity acting, as it alwas does, downwards, was equal or less than a force acting in the opposite direction. is this the support force of the bucket bottom? wouldn't that act in the same direciton as gravity force?? or is it the centripedal force?? opposing gravity? but doesn't the centripedal force have to act in the same direction as the acceleration, which is the same direction as gravity? so then why does the water not fall?

edit: ok, so i have just read that the centrpideal force is not actually a force in itself, it is just another name for the force that is creating the cetripedal acceleration, which in the case of the bcket, for example, is the tension force in the persons arm. this i understand.

however it does not help me with my first problem, about the forces acting on a person standing at the equator. what force causes the centripedal acceleration here


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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  • #2
standing on the Earth's surface i have two forces acting on me. the force due to the fact that i have mass, and so does the earth. given by equation f = (Gm1m2)/r (this force would be acting if the Earth was not spinning) i will call this force gravity here.

then there is a normal force that the Earth is acting on me, upwards. as i am stationary, this force will countering the force i described above.

According to the Newtons third law, action and reaction won't act on the same body.
So A acts on B and B reacts on A.
when the Earth is not spinning the force on you is due to gravity. It remains the same even if the Earth is spinning.
When the Earth is spinning, centripetal force due to rotation acts towards the center. You push the Earth with that force Earth pushes you back with that force. If this force is less than the gravitational pull you stay on the earth. As the spinning speed increases, this force is greater than the gravitational pull so that you were thrown out of the surface.
 

What is centripetal acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path. It is always directed towards the center of the circle and its magnitude is given by the formula a = v^2 / r, where v is the velocity of the object and r is the radius of the circle.

What is centripetal force?

Centripetal force is the force that acts on an object moving in a circular path, keeping it in that path. It is always directed towards the center of the circle and its magnitude is equal to the product of mass and centripetal acceleration, given by the formula F = ma.

What are some examples of centripetal acceleration and force in everyday life?

Examples of centripetal acceleration and force in everyday life include the motion of a car on a roundabout, the spinning of a washing machine, and the orbit of planets around the sun.

What is the difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force?

Centripetal force is the force that acts towards the center of a circular path, while centrifugal force is the apparent outward force experienced by an object in a rotating reference frame. Centrifugal force is not a real force, but rather a result of inertia in a non-inertial reference frame.

How does centripetal acceleration and force relate to Newton's laws of motion?

Centripetal acceleration and force are a result of Newton's laws of motion. The first law states that an object will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a force. In the case of circular motion, the centripetal force acts as a force that changes the direction of motion, keeping the object moving in a circular path. The second law relates the net force and acceleration, and in the case of centripetal acceleration, the force and acceleration are always perpendicular to each other. The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and in the case of centripetal force, the force acting towards the center of the circle is countered by the centrifugal force acting outwards.

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