Question

In each of the four situations below an object is experiencing (nearly) uniform circular motion. State what force is providing the centripetal force required to keep the object moving in a circle: a. A car driving around a track. b. A ball being swung on the end of a string. c. The moon orbiting the earth. d. A rotating wheel.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Given that a centripetal force is a form of force that gives rise or causes a body to move in a curved path.

Hence;

1. When a car is being driven around a track, it is the FORCE OF FRICTION that is acting upon the turned wheels of the vehicle, which transforms into the centripetal force required for circular motion.

2. When a ball being is swung on the end of a string, TENSION FORCE acts upon the ball, which transforms the centripetal force required for circular motion.

3. When the moon is orbiting the earth, it is the FORCE OF GRAVITY acting upon the moon, which transforms the centripetal force required for circular motion.

4. A rotating wheel on the other hand has NO centripetal force because centripetal force is pull towards the center of a motion. However the speed of the object is tangent to the circle, while the direction of the force is also perpendicular to the direction of the rotating wheel.