How Do You Solve for Time and Average Acceleration in a Semicircular Motion?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 3K views
Violagirl
Messages
112
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



A car initially traveling due north goes around a semicircle having a radius of 500 m at a constant speed of 20 m/s. A) How long does this take? B) What is the magnitiude and direction of the average acceleration?

Homework Equations



a = Δvx/Δt(xhat)+Δvy/Δt(yhat)


The Attempt at a Solution



I'm stumped as to how to start this problem. I drew out a half circle with the radius showing 500 m for the distance. I'm not sure if I'm missing a formula or what as I didn't see anything relevant for circles on my formula sheet from my class. Any help is appreciated.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Violagirl said:

Homework Statement



A car initially traveling due north goes around a semicircle having a radius of 500 m at a constant speed of 20 m/s. A) How long does this take? B) What is the magnitiude and direction of the average acceleration?

Homework Equations



a = Δvx/Δt(xhat)+Δvy/Δt(yhat)


The Attempt at a Solution



I'm stumped as to how to start this problem. I drew out a half circle with the radius showing 500 m for the distance. I'm not sure if I'm missing a formula or what as I didn't see anything relevant for circles on my formula sheet from my class. Any help is appreciated.

For one thing for motion in two dimensions, acceleration is a vector quantity. It has x and y components. You don't add them. But you didn't do part A yet. What's the Δt?