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A cyclist enters a curve of 30-m radius at a speed of 12 m/s. As the brakes are

applied, speed is decreased at a constant rate of 0.5 m/s2. What are the magnitudes
of the cyclist’s radial and tangential accelerations when his speed is
10 m/s?

1 Answer

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Step-by-step explanation:

To find the magnitudes of the cyclist's radial and tangential accelerations when his speed is 10 m/s, we can use the equations for radial and tangential acceleration:

Radial acceleration: ar = v^2 / r

Tangential acceleration: at = a - ar

where ar is the radial acceleration, at is the tangential acceleration, v is the speed, r is the radius of the curve, and a is the acceleration (in this case, the deceleration of 0.5 m/s^2).

Plugging in the values given in the problem, we get:

ar = (10 m/s)^2 / (30 m) = 0.33 m/s^2

at = (-0.5 m/s^2) - (0.33 m/s^2) = -0.83 m/s^2

Therefore, the magnitude of the radial acceleration is 0.33 m/s^2, and the magnitude of the tangential acceleration is -0.83 m/s^2.

Note that the negative sign on the tangential acceleration indicates that it is directed opposite to the velocity, which is consistent with the fact that the cyclist is decelerating.

User John McTighe
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