Why's radial acceleration zero at north pole

AI Thread Summary
Radial acceleration at the equator is calculated to be 9.9337 m/s² due to the Earth's rotation. At the North Pole, the radial acceleration is zero because the radius of rotation effectively becomes zero, resulting in no centripetal force. This means that while the Earth is spinning, a point at the North Pole does not experience any radial acceleration. The discussion highlights the difference in motion between the equator and the poles, emphasizing the unique conditions at the poles. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping the physics of rotational motion on Earth.
SS2006
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a)Compute hte radial accleration of a point at the equator of the earth. b)repeat for the north pole of hte earth. Take the radius of the eartk to be 6370 km.

so for a) i got 9.9337 m/s square which is right
but for b) the answer is just zero
why?
 
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You are at the "center" of rotation. You really are not moving anywhere are you? Just spinning...
 
Whoa!

What Force could cause an acceleration as quick as 9.934 m/s^2 ?

I don't recall having to be tied down in Equador, to stay on the ground. (;->
 
lightgrav said:
Whoa!

What Force could cause an acceleration as quick as 9.934 m/s^2 ?

I don't recall having to be tied down in Equador, to stay on the ground. (;->

Yeah, but have you actually ever BEEN to the equator? ;)
 
SS2006 said:
a)Compute hte radial accleration of a point at the equator of the earth. b)repeat for the north pole of hte earth. Take the radius of the eartk to be 6370 km.

so for a) i got 9.9337 m/s square which is right
but for b) the answer is just zero
why?

Your part "a" isn't correct it says you need to find the acceleration not velocity, the velocity you find also incorrect.
 
hey.there's zero acceleration at poles because the R in the mrw^2 is approaching zero.or rather zero in this case.as it reaches the pole, the centripetal radius becomes zero, Fc=0 therefore, no acceleration.hope this helps.heh I'm new here.
 
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