Question

A car moves horizontally with a constant acceleration of 3 m/s2. A ball is suspended by astring from the ceiling of the car. The ball does not swing, being at rest with respect to thecar. What angle does the string make with the vertical?

Answer 1

β = 16.7°

Step-by-step explanation:

The sum of forces on the x-axis are:

`T*sin\beta=m*a`

The sum of forces on the y-axis are:

`T*cos\beta=m*g`

By dividing x-axis by the y-axis equation:

`tan\beta=a/g`

Solving for β:

`\beta=atan(a/g)`

β = 16.7°