Peoples Physics Concepts

http://www.ck12.org Chapter 5. Centripetal Forces

Example 1

If you are 4m from the center of a Merry-Go-Round that is rotating at 1 revolution every 2 seconds, what is your
centripetal acceleration?

Solution

First we need to find your tangential velocity. We can do this using the given angular velocity.

ω=

2 πrad

2 s

ω=πrad/s

ω=

v

r

v=ωr

v=πrad/s∗4 m

v= 4 πm/s

Now we can find your centripetal acceleration using the radius of your rotation.

ac=

v^2

r

ac=

( 4 πm/s)^2

4 m

ac= 4 π^2 m/s^2

Watch this explanation

Simulation

Ladybug Motion in 2D (PhET Simulation)