A person builds and calibrates an accelerometer using a small mass, a string, an

Question

A person builds and calibrates an accelerometer using a small mass, a string, and a protractor. While riding in a car, the person’s friend observes the string to make an 18.00 angle with the vertical while the car is traveling at 25.0 m/s on an unbanked (horizontal) curve.

a) What is the radial acceleration of the car under these conditions? Draw a FBD of the mass as part of your solution.)

b) What is the radius of the curve?

c) What is the speed of the car if the pendulum hangs at an angle of 12.00 while rounding this same curve?

Explanation / Answer

a) tan 18 = v^2 / rg

acceleration = v^2 / r

a = tan 18 * g

= tan 18 * 9.8

= 3.18 m/s2

b) a = v^2 / r

r = v^2 / a = 25^2 / 3.18 = 196.28 m

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.