Question

an athlete in a hammer-throw event swings a 7.0-kilogram hammer in a horizontal circle at a constant speed of 12 meters per second. The radius of the hammer's path is 2.0 meters.

Answer 1

ac = 72 m/s²

Fc = 504 N

Step-by-step explanation:

We can find the centripetal acceleration of the hammer by using the following formula:

`a_c = (v^2)/(r)`

where,

ac = centripetal acceleration = ?

v = constant speed = 12 m/s

r = radius = 2 m

Therefore,

`a_c = ((12\ m/s)^2)/(2\ m)`

ac = 72 m/s²

Now, the centripetal force applied by the athlete on the hammer will be:

`F_c = ma_c\\F_c = (7\ kg)(72\ m/s^2)`

Fc = 504 N