Hi can someone please help me answer the following question, thanks.
The go-cart needs a centripetal force to move in a circular path with a constant speed. Explain why this force needs to be constant.
Centripetal force must remain constant because an object in uniform circular motion undergoes constant acceleration (by changing direction), and we know from newtons second law of motion that there must be a constant external net force acting on the object. Hope this helps!!
Good answer Sarah. I find that referring to an equation, and discussing each term in the equation, helps to add important detail to our Physics responses.
For example we could add:
If the centripetal force increased then the acceleration on the object would increase. Since:
Increasing the acceleration would require an increase in speed or decrease of the radius. Similarly, decreasing the force would decrease acceleration (assuming mass remains constant). A decrease in acceleration would mean speed would have to decrease, or the radius would increase. So the go-kart cannot remain in a circular path with a constant speed if the force varies.
We could also explain the points above with reference to the equation:
Nice work!
thank you for the feedback on my answer! It means a lot to have someone like you say that I gave a good answer!!
thanks!
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