Tension of an Object Swinging in a Circle

[wallace13]

A "swing" ride at a carnival consists of chairs that are swung in a circle with a 10 m radius. It is attached to a vertical rotating pole with a 56.5 degree angle between the pole and chain of a swing. Suppose the total mass of a chair and its occupant is 210 kg.

(a) Determine the speed of the chair.
I found the speed of the chair by using the equation tan 0 = m x v squared/gr
I got 12.175m/s and it is correct.

(b) Determine the tension in the cable attached to the chair.
I plugged the velocity that I found into the equation Fc= m x v squared/r
I got 3112 N, which is incorrect



tan 0= m x v squared/gr
Ac= v squared/r
Tc= mxac

 

[Doc Al]

(b) Determine the tension in the cable attached to the chair.
I plugged the velocity that I found into the equation Fc= m x v squared/r

That will give you the centripetal force, not the tension in the cable. Hint: Consider the components of the cable tension. (You would be wise to draw a free body diagram illustrating the forces acting on the chair.)