The problem involves a mass traveling in a circular path while suspended by a string, with a focus on determining the centripetal force acting on the mass. The context includes concepts from circular motion and forces acting on the mass, such as tension and gravity.
The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the forces involved. Some guidance has been offered regarding the distinction between applied and reaction forces, as well as suggestions to work symbolically rather than numerically. There is no explicit consensus on the relationships among the forces yet.
Participants are navigating the complexities of free-body diagrams and the implications of vertical motion in the context of the problem. There is also mention of homework constraints that may limit the information available for solving the problem.
Where did this come from? I suggest expressing your equations genericly first, so that we can determine what you mean. All that I can do is guess that the "1.9" refers to the length of the string and the T and F are forces, so that you are trying to determine a force from a length. Does that make sense?whoopie88 said:
Great. I concur with this. However, you should be more specific. Distinguish between applied forces and reaction forces. That is, in Newton's second law, there are the F forces and the m.a force. Two of the forces that you mentioned are F forces. That is, they are applied due to the contact or presense of certain objects. Then, there is the resulting m.a force, which is manifested in the motion as a.whoopie88 said:
Not quite. Is the tension exactly vertical? Have you drawn a free-body diagram? Hint: is there any vertical acceleration?whoopie88 said:
No. But, there may be some relationship involving these forces. Hint: I see that you are familiar with trigonometry.whoopie88 said:
You may not necessarily need to do this. Try to work it out symbolically and see how far you get. This is usually daunting for the novice, but after a few of these problems you will realize how much better you can sniff out the solution, because it forces you to think in terms of the physical relationships rather than the numerical relationships. As a bonus, it will help you practice your algebra, and it will save you a lot of extra calculational work in the long run.whoopie88 said:
turin said:
turin said: