The 20-g centrifuge at NASA\'s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California

Question

The 20-g centrifuge at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, is a cylindrical tube 58 ft long with a radius of 29 ft (see figure). If a rider sits in a chair at the end of one arm facing the center, how many revolutions per minute would be required to create a horizontal normal force equal in magnitude to 20.0 times the rider's weight? Please answer in rev/min.

I have been looking at this problem all week, and it seems that I just can't get the right answer. I will rate you very well if you can show step-by-step how you got the answer, since I am obviously going in the wrong direction, and I want to learn where I went astray.

Explanation / Answer

Rw² = 20*g ? w = v(20*32.2/29) = 4.712 rad/sec rpm = w(60/2p) = 45 rpm However, due to gravity being present, the rider would actually experience a force = 20.02 times his weight in a direction 2.86° below horizontal.

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