Question

A 250 g ball is being swung faster and faster in a horizontal circle. When the speed reaches 15 m/s, the tension (T) is 500N and the string breaks. What is the radius r of the circle?

Answer 1

The radius of the circle is 7.5 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the radius of the circle, we can use the equation for centripetal force:

Tension = mass * tangential velocity^2 / radius

Given that the tension is 500 N and the mass is 250 g (0.25 kg), and the tangential velocity is 15 m/s, we can plug in these values to solve for the radius:

500 N = 0.25 kg * 15 m/s^2 / radius

Simplifying, we find:

radius = (0.25 kg * 15 m/s^2) / 500 N

radius = 0.0075 m or 7.5 cm.