What Forces Affect the Speed of a Ball in Circular Motion?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the speed of a 500 g ball swinging in a vertical circle with a 1.5 m string length, where the tension at the bottom of the circle is 15 N. Participants emphasize the importance of drawing a free body diagram (FBD) to visualize the forces acting on the ball, specifically the tension and gravitational force of 4.905 N. The conversation highlights the role of centripetal force in circular motion and encourages understanding pseudo-forces that affect objects in such scenarios.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of free body diagrams (FBD)
  • Knowledge of centripetal force and gravitational force
  • Familiarity with Newton's second law of motion
  • Basic principles of circular motion dynamics
NEXT STEPS
  • Calculate the speed of the ball using the centripetal force formula: F = mv²/r
  • Explore the concept of pseudo-forces in non-inertial reference frames
  • Investigate the effects of tension and gravity on objects in circular motion
  • Learn about the dynamics of amusement park rides and their relation to circular motion
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of circular motion and the forces involved in such systems.

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A 500 g ball swings in a vertical circle at the end of a 1.5-m-long string. When the ball is at the bottom of the circle, the tension in the string is 15 N.



What is the speed of the ball at that point?
 
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what have you done so far? did you draw a fbd with the ball at the bottom of the circle? Did you sum the forces acting on the ball at that point? I'd say start there and see if you get an answer.

Good luck.
 
yea i have done the FDB but I am totally lost on the equations for the problem, i don't know how to find the speed with the "knowns" that i have been given.
 
Well, you have 15N acting toward the center of the circular path and 4.905N acting down. Do you know of any pseudo-forces associated with circular motion? Do you know what force keeps a person stuck to the walls of one of those spinning amusement park rides, or the force you feel when a car goes around a corner?
 

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