Question

If a weight hanging on a string of length 5 feet swings through 5^\circ on either side of the vertical, how long is the arc through which the weight moves from one high point to the next high point?

Answer 1

First we can find the circumference of the whole circle with a radius of 5 feet. circumference = 2 pi radius circumference = (2 pi) (5 feet) circumference = (10 pi) feet From one high point to the other high point, the string moves through an angle of 10 degrees. Since a full circle is 360 degrees, this angle is 1/36 of a full circle. Therefore, the arc length is 1/36 of the whole circumference. arc length = (1/36) (circumference) arc length = (1/36) (10 pi) feet arc length = 0.873 feet