Tarzan's Swing: What's the Tension in the Vine?

  • Thread starter Thread starter seto6
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Swing Tension
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a conceptual physics problem involving Tarzan swinging on a vine. The primary focus is on understanding the relationship between the tension in the vine and the gravitational force acting on Tarzan at the lowest point of his swing.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the nature of forces acting on Tarzan, particularly questioning whether the tension in the vine is greater than, less than, or equal to the gravitational force. There is an emphasis on the role of centripetal acceleration and its implications for the forces involved.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights regarding the necessity of centripetal acceleration in the context of the problem. There is an acknowledgment that the tension must be greater than the gravitational force, although questions about tangential acceleration and the net force direction at the bottom of the swing remain open for exploration.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating a conceptual question that involves understanding forces in a dynamic scenario, with specific attention to the implications of centripetal motion. The discussion reflects a mix of assumptions and interpretations regarding the forces at play.

seto6
Messages
248
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


tarzan swings through the jungle on a wine.at the lowest point of his swing, is the tension in the vine greater than,less then, or equal to the gravitational force


Homework Equations



its a conceptual question..

The Attempt at a Solution


i say that the tension on the string is greater b/c.. the vine has to bring him up again... not sure if I am correct... been a while since i delt with forces...

if... the gravitational for is more then the vine breaks..

if the gravitational for is equal to the tension the he comes to a halt
 
Physics news on Phys.org
anything wrong with my conclusion ?
 
Yes, you're missing the concept of centripetal acceleration, which, for an object moving in a curved path, always acts inward toward the center of the curve (center of the circle in this case). What's the direction of the centripetal acceleartion at the bottom of the curve? What must be the direction of the net force at the bottom of the curve?
 
the "centripetal acceleration" is up and there is a tangential acceleration..so the tension on the vine must be greater then the gravitational force...no?...
 
That's right, the tension is greater. But at the bottom of the curve, there is no force in the x direction, so what is the tangential acceleration at the bottom? (that's an extra credit question:wink:).
 
no acceleration in the x-direction o:)
 
thank you jay!
 
seto6 said:
thank you jay!
You are welcome. Bear in mind that there is both centripetal and tangential acceleration elsewhere on the curve. At the bottom, only centripetal. Going to bed now, good night.:zzz:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
11K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
7K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
9K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K