What is the tension in the string at the bottom of the swing?

AI Thread Summary
To find the tension in the string at the bottom of a pendulum swing, it's essential to recognize that the bob experiences nonuniform circular motion, meaning the acceleration is not zero. The correct approach involves applying Newton's second law, where the sum of forces equals mass times acceleration. The tension in the string can be calculated using the formula T = ma + W, where W is the weight of the bob. It's noted that the acceleration is zero only at the maximum velocity point, which occurs at the bottom of the swing. Understanding these principles is crucial for solving the problem accurately.
lbutscha
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A pendulum is 0.6 m long and the bob has a mass of 1.0 kg. At the bottom of its swing, the bob's speed is 1.9 m/s. What is the tension in the string at the bottom of the swing?



The attempt at a solution
I did Newtons second law F=ma. So I tried:

The sum of all forces=ma
T-W=ma
T=ma+w

I figured the acceleration would be zero when it is at the bottom of the swing. I have tried many different answers and can't seem to come up with the right one. Please help!
 
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The acceleration is not zero at the bottom of the swing. Hint: What kind of motion does the bob undergo?
 
I am not exactly sure, but you might be able to use the equation v = sqrt(Forcetension/(m/L)).

I don't know how you derive this formula, but this is one of the formulas they give in my physics book (im actually doing the same thing right now in my class), so this should be what your looking for.

The acceleration would be zero only when the velocity is at it's max (I think).

Hope that helps.
 
I know it is nonuniform circular motion. But I still don't get it.
 
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