Centripetal force of a rotating ride thing

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the centripetal force of a capsule on a rotating amusement ride. The key formula for centripetal force is F = (m * v²) / r, where m is the mass of the capsule, v is its velocity, and r is the radius of the circular path. Participants debated whether to include the number of capsules in the calculation, clarifying that the question specifically asked for the force on a single capsule. The confusion arose from the inclusion of the total number of capsules in the exam question, which was deemed unnecessary for calculating the force of one capsule.

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Magma828
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Just had a question in an exam asking me to find the centripetal force of a capsule on a ride like this:

london-eye.jpg


It gave the mass of a capsule, its velocity and radius etc. Would I have had to multiply by the number of capsules, because it did state the number.

I didn't do this, but someone told me that that's what I should have done. Now I'm confused!
 
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Magma828 said:
the centripetal force of a capsule

Why multiply when you're asked to find the force for a single capsule?
 
That's what I thought, but it's strange that they gave the number of the capsules.

Probably just to confuse us!
 
Magma828 said:
That's what I thought, but it's strange that they gave the number of the capsules.

Probably just to confuse us!

Well, it would be different if you were asked to find the sum of all the centripetal forces acting on the ride.
 

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