Question

Suppose a fast-pitch softball player does a windmill pitch, moving her hand through a circular arc with her arm straight. She releases the ball at a speed of 25.5 m/s (about 57.0 mph ). Just before the ball leaves her hand, the ball's radial acceleration is 1060 m/s2 . What is the length of her arm from the pivot point at her shoulder

Answer 1

61.3 cm

Step-by-step explanation:

Radial acceleration of the object in circular motion is given by formula

`a = (v^2)/(R)\\`

Given:

`a = 1060 m/s^2\\v = 25.5 m/s`

Plugging in the values in the formula

`1060 = (25.5^2)/(R)\\R = 0.613 m`

so length of his arm is 61.3 cm