Determine the tension in the pendulum string

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a conical pendulum where a ball of mass 0.5 kg is attached to a 1m string, moving at constant velocity. The objective is to determine the tension in the string, considering the forces acting on the ball due to gravity and circular motion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster discusses the forces acting on the ball, including gravitational force and the force due to circular motion, and expresses uncertainty about calculating the latter. Participants inquire about the expression for centrifugal force and its relation to velocity and radius.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different aspects of the problem, including the need for the angle theta and how to express forces generically. Some guidance has been offered regarding writing equations for a generic angle without needing its exact value.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of the unknown angle theta, which affects the determination of the radius in the context of the pendulum's motion.

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Homework Statement


The ball in this conical pendulum is moving at constant velocity.
The length of the string is 1m and the ball is 0.5kg.
Determine the tension in the string.

[PLAIN]http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7868/pedns.png

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


The force that the ball exerts on the string is the tension inside the string
and the ball experiences two different forces.
One is the force the ball experiences due to gravity and the other is the force it experiences
due to the circular motion that it's undergoing.
The resultant of these two forces will give the tension inside the string.
The force due to gravity can be calculated with F=m x a
But I'm unsure as to how the force on the ball due to the circular motion of the ball can be calculated.
Does anyone know how this can be done?
 
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What is the expression for centrifugal force in terms of velocity & radius ?
 


F = m x (v^2)/R
But R can't be determined because theta is unknown.
 


You do not need the exact value of \theta.
Just write down the equations for a generic \theta and you could figure out how to proceed.
 

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