Final answer:
To find the linear speed of the laser pointer placed on a rotating platform, convert the rpm to radians per second, then use the formula v = rω to calculate the linear speed. The linear speed of the laser pointer at a distance of 2 meters from the center of rotation is approximately 10.57 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the linear speed of the laser pointer, we need to convert the rotation rate from revolutions per minute (rpm) to radians per second. Since 1 revolution is equal to 2π radians, we can multiply the rotation rate by 2π to get the angular velocity in radians per minute. Then, we divide the result by 60 to convert it to radians per second.
In this case, the rotational speed is 16 rpm. Therefore, the angular velocity would be (16 rpm) * (2π rad/1 rev) * (1 min/60 s) = 16π/30 rad/s.
Next, we need to find the linear speed of the laser pointer at a distance of 2 meters from the center of rotation. The formula for linear speed is v = rω, where v is the linear speed, r is the distance from the center of rotation, and ω is the angular velocity. Plugging in the values, we get v = (2 m) * (16π/30 rad/s) = 32π/30 m/s.
So, the linear speed of the laser pointer is approximately 10.57 m/s.