Centripetal Acceleration question

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a conical pendulum problem involving centripetal acceleration. Participants are tasked with determining the speed of a mass swinging in a circular path while attached to a string, considering various forces acting on the system.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between tension in the string and the forces acting on the pendulum, particularly focusing on the radial and vertical components. There are attempts to derive equations for centripetal force and questions about the correctness of these equations, including the role of mass and the use of trigonometric functions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing different interpretations of the equations involved. Some guidance has been offered regarding the relationships between the variables, but there is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the approaches taken.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework assignment, which may limit the information available and the assumptions that can be made. There are discussions about the definitions of variables and the setup of the problem, particularly regarding the geometry of the pendulum.

DavidDishere
Messages
12
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Consider a conical pendulum that consists of a bob
on one end of a string of negligible mass with the other end of the
string attached to a point on the ceiling, as shown. Given the proper
push, this pendulum can swing in a circle at a given angle, maintaining
the same distance from the ceiling throughout its swing. If the mass of
the bob is , the length of the string is d, and the angle at which it
swings is θ, what is the speed (v) of the mass as it swings? [Hint: Find
the vertical and inward radial components of the string’s tension.]

Homework Equations



FR = (mv2)/r

The Attempt at a Solution



For \SigmaFy I got FT = mg/cos θ

I said r = dsinθ

And for \SigmaFR I got FTdsin2 θ = v2

Plug in mg/cos θ for FT and sqrt(gd tanθ sin θ)= v

Is that right?
 

Attachments

  • wat.jpg
    wat.jpg
    7.3 KB · Views: 460
Physics news on Phys.org
I don't follow your equation for the radial forces. You have the Ft*sinθ component equaling the centripetal force, don't you? Surely there has to be an m in it. Why is the sin squared?
 
At the start I have
FTsin θ = mv2/r

Put in dsin θ for r and move to the other side

FTsin2 θ = mv2

Put in mg/cos θ from the y forces for FT

mgdsin2 θ/cos θ = mv2

The masses cancel and 1 of the sin2/cos becomes tangent

gd tan θ sin θ = v2

sqrt(gdtan θ sin θ) = v

Did I do something wrong? r is equal to dsin θ right?
 
:( from your image, I find that sin \Theta = \frac{d}{R}
 
ApexOfDE said:
:( from your image, I find that sin \Theta = \frac{d}{R}

sin is opp/hyp right? r would be opp and d would be hyp. sin θ = r/d So dsin θ = r
 
DavidDishere said:
sqrt(gdtan θ sin θ) = v

Did I do something wrong? r is equal to dsin θ right?
No, your solution is perfectly fine. And yes, r = d sinθ. (In your first post you did leave off an m, as Delphi51 points out.)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
7K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
4K
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
6
Views
4K
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
3K