Question

An ultracentrifuge spins a small tube in a circle of radius 12.3 cm at 7 * 10⁴ rev/min. What is the centripetal force experienced by a mass of 2.90g?

A) 0.123 N
B) 1.23 N
C) 12.3 N
D) 123 N

Answer 1

To calculate the centripetal force experienced by a mass in an ultracentrifuge, you need to use the formula F = m * ac. The centripetal acceleration (ac) can be calculated using the formula ac = r * ω^2, where r is the radius and ω is the angular velocity. Substituting the given values into the equations will allow you to calculate the centripetal force.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the centripetal force experienced by a mass in an ultracentrifuge, we need to use the formula for centripetal force:

F = m * ac

Where:

F is the centripetal force

m is the mass

ac is the centripetal acceleration

The centripetal acceleration can be calculated using the formula:

ac = r * ω2

Where:

r is the radius

ω is the angular velocity

Given:

Radius (r) = 12.3 cm = 0.123 m

Angular velocity (ω) = 7 * 104 rev/min = 7 * 104 * (2 π/60) rad/s

Mass (m) = 2.90 g = 0.00290 kg

Substituting these values into the equations:

Radius (r) = 0.123 m

Angular velocity (ω) = 7 * 104 * (2 π/60) rad/s

Using the formula for centripetal acceleration:

ac = r * ω2

we can calculate the centripetal acceleration, which is needed to calculate the centripetal force.

Finally, we can calculate the centripetal force using the formula:

F = m * ac

Calculating the value of the centripetal force will give us the answer to the question.