Assessment: Forces in Circular Motion

Which direction does a centripetal force always point?

From the point of view of someone standing outside a spinning fairground ride, why does a rider feel pushed outward?

Why is the string tension different at the top versus the bottom of a vertical circle, even at the same speed?

A 1 kg object moves in a circle of radius 2 m at 6 m/s. Find the centripetal force acting on it.

A 0.4 kg ball on a 0.6 m string swings in a horizontal circle at 3 rad/s. Find the tension in the string.

A car turns on a flat road of radius 80 m with μ = 0.3 (g = 9.8 m/s²). Find the maximum safe speed, v_max = √(μgr), in m/s.

A 1 kg ball on a 0.5 m string moves at 3 m/s at the bottom of a vertical circle. Find the tension there (g = 9.8 m/s²).

Find the ideal (frictionless) banking angle, in degrees, for a curve of radius 120 m designed for 22 m/s (g = 9.8 m/s²). Round to one decimal place.

Why do astronauts aboard the International Space Station appear weightless?

A 1200 kg car crests the top of a hill shaped like part of a circle of radius 40 m, travelling at 15 m/s (g = 9.8 m/s²). Find the normal force from the road on the car at that instant, using N = mg − mv²/r.