What is the Speed of The Rocket at the Carnival?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the speed of the rocket cars on The Rocket ride at a carnival, which involves understanding circular motion and forces. The diameter of the disk is 5 meters, and the chains are 6 meters long, creating a scenario where the cars swing out at a 20-degree angle from vertical. Participants utilized equations from rotational kinematics and free-body diagrams to derive the speed, with initial calculations yielding incorrect results. The correct approach involves reevaluating the radius to include the horizontal component of the chain's length, leading to a final speed calculation of approximately 13.65 m/s.

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Homework Statement


You've taken your neighbor's young child to the carnival to ride the rides. She wants to ride The Rocket. Eight rocket-shaped cars hang by chains from the outside edge of a large steel disk. A vertical axle through the center of the ride turns the disk, causing the cars to revolve in a circle. You've just finished taking physics, so you decide to figure out the speed of the cars while you wait. You estimate that the disk is 5 m in diameter and the chains are 6 m long. The ride takes 10 s to reach full speed, then the cars swing out until the chains are 20 from vertical.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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You've been told a few times already...

c'mon!
 
I am not sure what is going on
 
Forget the neighbor's kid. Picture a ball on a string going around an upright pole.

Draw that picture.

Make a free-body-diagram of the forces on the ball.
 
Fx=Nsin(theta)=ma=m*v^2/r
Fy=Ncos(theta)-mg=o
 
OK, now you need to use the information to find the tangential speed. Rotational kinematics.
 
Using that information I get a speed of 8.93m/s which is not correct.

v=sqrt(rgtan(theta)

am I missing some idea
 
Last edited:
splac6996 said:
Using that information I get a speed of 8.93m/s which is not correct.

v=sqrt(rgtan(theta)

am I missing some idea

it's 4.033?
 
splac6996 said:
Using that information I get a speed of 8.93m/s which is not correct.

v=sqrt(rgtan(theta)

am I missing some idea

I misread the problem. The radius has to be re-evaluated. Rather than a string attached to a pole, is is a string attached to a 2.5 m radius disk. The radius of the circle taken by the chair will be 2.5 m + the horizontal component of the chain's length.
 
  • #10
thanks
 
  • #11
please help

I have done

v=\sqrt{8.5*9.80*tan(20)}
= 13.65

computer told me that it is not correct.

where did I went wrong?

Do I have to consider the "time factor" of 10 seconds as described in this problem?

please help.
 
  • #12
the radius isn't 8.5, it's 2.5 plus the "horizontal component of the chain's length", which is 6sin(20).
 

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