2 Motion in a circle Answers to Exam practice questions

Pages 35–37 Exam practice questions

1 Answer C [Total 1 mark]

2 Answer A [Total 1 mark]
3 Answer B [Total 1 mark]
−1 −1
4 At an average angular velocity of 8.2 rad s , it would take t = 2π rad/8.2 rad s = 0.77 s to
complete one revolution [2]
∴ It takes 5 × 0.77 s = 3.8 s to complete 5 revolutions [1]
[Total 3 marks]
5 The centrifugal force is ‘the pull of the man on the post (which is part of the bus)’. [2]
It is equal in size but in the opposite sense to ‘the pull of the post on the man’. [1]
[Total 3 marks]
2 −1 2
6 The acceleration a = rω = 0.12 m × (200 rad s ) [1]
−2
= 4800 m s [1]
≈ 490g [1]
[Total 3 marks]
7 Answer B [Total 1 mark]
8 a)

[2]
b) Ignoring forces in the direction of motion of the ‘car’
Newton’s second law gives:
𝑚𝑣 2
= F − mg [1]
𝑟
𝑚𝑣 2 −1 2
⇒ F= + mg = 1800 kg × [(11 m s ) /8.5 m + 9.8 m s−2] [1]
𝑟
−2
= 1800 kg × [14.2 + 9.8] m s = 43 000 N or 43 kN [1]
[Total 5 marks]

© Tim Akrill and Graham George 2015

2 Motion in a circle Answers to Exam practice questions

9 The centripetal force F c is a component of the horizontal frictional force of the road on the car
tyres. [2]
This force F c is towards the centre of the circle in which the car is turning. [1]
[Total 3 marks]
(The other component of the frictional force of the road on the car is F f . This force drives the car
forward around the bend – against air resistance etc.)
10 The bob of the pendulum, of mass m, is in equilibrium vertically. Therefore applying Newton’s
first law:
mg = Tcosθ [1]
2
Horizontally the pendulum bob is accelerating towards the centre of the circle at ʋ /r. [1]
Therefore applying Newton’s second law:
𝑚𝑣 2
= Tsinθ [1]
𝑟
Dividing these equations yields:
𝑚𝑣 2 𝑇sin𝜃
= [1]
𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑇cos𝜃

𝑣2
⇒ = tanθ [1]
𝑔𝑔

[Total 5 marks]
2
11 a) A person at the centre of the ‘tyre’ experiences a centripetal acceleration rω .
2 2
For rω to equal g, ω must equal g/r [1]

9.8 m s−2
ω=�
−1
= 0.495 s [1]
40 m
2π 2π
T= = [1]
𝜔 0.495 s−1
= 12.9 s
∴ The space station must rotate once every 13 s! [1]
b) Some advantages might be:
• with careful design, eating and defecating might be made easier for the
astronauts
• the need to exercise in order to reduce muscle and bone damage might be
reduced etc. [2]
(There is no particular answer to this question – you are simply asked to ‘suggest’.)
[Total 6 marks]

© Tim Akrill and Graham George 2015

2 Motion in a circle Answers to Exam practice questions

12 a) At the top of the circle in which the bucket of water is whirled, the water must not drop out
of the bucket. Therefore the pull of the Earth on the water must be too small to accelerate
the water downwards when the bucket of water is at the top of its circle, i.e. above the
teacher. [1]
2
Therefore, at the top of the circle g must be less than ʋ /r [1]
𝑣2
If g < ⇒ v > �𝑔𝑔 [1]
𝑟
−1
∴ ʋ must be greater than �(9.8 m s−2 ) × (1.2 m) = 3.4 m s [1]
b) One problem might be that it is difficult to whirl a heavy bucket of water at a constant speed
in a vertical circle. [1]
[Total 5 marks]
13 Suppose the speed of the metal ball of mass m at the bottom of its swing is ʋ. By the principle
2
of conservation of energy, ½mʋ = mgΔh, where Δh is the vertical distance the ball has
dropped. [1]
−1
ʋ = �2𝑔𝑔ℎ = √2 × 9.8 m s−2 × 2.5 m = 7.0 m s [1]
By Newton’s second law, at the bottom of the swing, the tension T in the cable is given by:
2
mʋ /r = T − mg where r is the radius of the arc = 6 m [1]
2 2 2 −2
T = mʋ /r + mg = m(ʋ /r + g) = 2600 kg (7.0 /6 + 9.8) m s [1]
= 47 000 N (to 2 s.f.) [1]
[Total 5 marks]
−1
14 a) The girl rotates once around the Earth’s axis each day, so T = 24 h × 3600 s h [1]
Her centripetal acceleration
2 2 2
a = rω = 4π r/T (as ω = 2π/T)
4π2 × 6.4 × 106 m
= [1]
(24 × 3600 s)2
−2
= 0.034 m s [1]
b) To produce this acceleration for a girl of mass 56 kg requires a force F where
−2
F = ma = 56 kg × 0.034 m s [1]
= 1.9 N or about 2 N [1]
[Total 5 marks]

© Tim Akrill and Graham George 2015

2 Motion in a circle Answers to Exam practice questions

Stretch and challenge

15 ‘Suggest’ means that you do not know the answer, but are being asked to think. Some of the
points you could have made might include:
• The Earth is not a solid body.
• Much of the Earth is a sticky liquid.
• As the whole Earth rotates once every 24 hours (and used to rotate faster) greater
centripetal forces are required to pull in the outer parts of the Earth near the equator
than at the poles.
• Because of this, the radius of the Earth near the equator is bigger than its radius near the
poles.
• Hence the Earth is oblate and flattened at the poles. [Total 3 marks]
2
16 The acceleration of the sock is rω i.e. just more than
−1 2 −2
0.25 m × (2π × 13 rev s ) = 1700 m s or about 170g. [1]
It gets this acceleration from the push of the drum wall. [1]
When the water is opposite one of holes in the drum, it cannot get this force. [1]
So it will try and continue in a straight line, according to Newton’s first law, and will pass through
the hole and out of the drum. [1]
[Total 4 marks]
17 If the aeroplane banks to right or left, the upward push of the air on the wings can be resolved
into vertical and horizontal components. [1]
The horizontal component provides the necessary centripetal force to enable the plane to turn in
a circular path. [1]
For the plane to still fly horizontally, the vertical component must provides an upward lift equal
to the pull of the Earth on the plane (its weight), which continues to act vertically downwards. [2]
[Total 4 marks]
(In practice, as there is now only a component of the lift acting vertically upwards, the plane must
increase its speed in order to increase the lift so that the vertical component equals the weight
of the aircraft).

© Tim Akrill and Graham George 2015