Tangential, Radial and total acceleration

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the tangential, radial, and total acceleration experienced by a person on a rotating amusement park ride. Given that the drum has a radius of 4.0 meters and the person reaches a speed of 5.0 m/s in 5.0 seconds, the tangential acceleration can be calculated as 1.0 m/s². The radial acceleration at a speed of 3.0 m/s is determined to be 2.25 m/s², directed towards the center of the drum. The total acceleration when the person reaches 5.0 m/s is found to be 2.5 m/s² at an angle of approximately 63.43 degrees from the radial direction.

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  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with the concepts of tangential and radial acceleration
  • Basic knowledge of circular motion equations
  • Ability to perform vector addition for acceleration components
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  • Study the equations of motion for circular motion
  • Learn how to calculate tangential and radial acceleration in detail
  • Explore vector addition techniques for combining acceleration vectors
  • Investigate real-world applications of circular motion in amusement park rides
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Robert0606
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Hello, I have a question which I'm having hard time solving,

Homework Statement


A ride at the amusement park consists of a large, vertical drum in which people stand with their backs to the wall. The drum begins to rotate and eventually the people stick to the wall due to the acceleration – even when the floor is lowered. If the ride starts spinning from rest and it takes 5.0 seconds for a person against the wall to attain a speed of 5.0m/s, and if the drum has a radius of 4.0m find the following:

  1. What is the magnitude of the tangential acceleration experienced by a person at the wall?
  2. What is the magnitude and direction of the radial acceleration for a person against the wall when s/he reaches a speed of 3.0m/s?
  3. What is the magnitude and direction of the total acceleration of the person as s/he reaches 5.0m/s?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I had several attempts but they were so useless that it would be irrelevant to even make mention of, I really have no other clue on how to solve this question. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
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Robert0606 said:
Hello, I have a question which I'm having hard time solving,

Homework Statement


A ride at the amusement park consists of a large, vertical drum in which people stand with their backs to the wall. The drum begins to rotate and eventually the people stick to the wall due to the acceleration – even when the floor is lowered. If the ride starts spinning from rest and it takes 5.0 seconds for a person against the wall to attain a speed of 5.0m/s, and if the drum has a radius of 4.0m find the following:

  1. What is the magnitude of the tangential acceleration experienced by a person at the wall?
  2. What is the magnitude and direction of the radial acceleration for a person against the wall when s/he reaches a speed of 3.0m/s?
  3. What is the magnitude and direction of the total acceleration of the person as s/he reaches 5.0m/s?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I had several attempts but they were so useless that it would be irrelevant to even make mention of, I really have no other clue on how to solve this question. Any help would be appreciated.
Your useless attempts may be relevant for assistance to see where you may be going wrong. Can you answer question 2 for starters?
 
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