Uniform Circular Motion of streetcar

AI Thread Summary
An old streetcar is rounding a corner with a radius of 9.1 meters at a speed of 4.444 m/s, prompting a discussion about the angle the hand straps make with the vertical. The centripetal acceleration is calculated as 2.1 m/s², which, along with gravity, influences the angle of the hand straps. Participants emphasize the importance of understanding the forces acting on the straps and suggest drawing a diagram for clarity. The correct approach to finding the angle involves using the tangent function with the gravitational acceleration and centripetal acceleration switched. The discussion concludes with a clarification on calculating the angle with respect to the vertical.
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An old streetcar rounds a flat corner of radius = 9.1m at 4.444 m/s.
What angle with the vertical will be made by the loosely hanging hand straps.

I don't really know what I am looking for, Can anyone Help?
 
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Start by drawing a diagram. What forces are acting on the hand straps? Think why the hand straps should form any angle with the vertical.
 
centripetal acceleration would act on the handstraps
a = vsquared/r

a=2.1m/s(squared)

is that all that acts on them
 
Almost. What keeps the car (and the hand straps, and pretty much everything else) on ground? :smile:
 
Gravity ?
 
Yep.
Now, the direction of the resultant force?
 
could i do this:

tan(theta) = 9.8m/s(squared) / 2.1m/s(squared
 
Yes, but as the requested angle was the angle with the vertical (not horizontal), you should switch the forces' (accelerations', as mass cancels out) places.
 
ohhh..oops..thats what i meant in the first place

Thanks
 
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