Moderate

If we whirl a stone at the end of a string in the vertical circle, it is likely to break when the stone is________________?

Correct answer: B. At the lowest point

  • A. At the highest point
  • B. At the lowest point
  • C. At any point during motion
  • D. At the point where gravity is not acting

Explanation

At the lowest point of a vertical circle, the stone has its greatest speed because it has lost the most gravitational potential energy. The string tension must then provide the centripetal force as well as support the weight, so it is greatest there and the string is most likely to break. Students may choose the highest point because the stone is farthest from the centre, but its speed and required tension are smaller there.

Last updated

About Angular and Linear Quantities

Rotational motion relates angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration to linear displacement, tangential velocity and tangential acceleration through the radius. Questions use radians, v equals r omega and tangential acceleration, while distinguishing tangential velocity from centripetal acceleration and angular quantities from their linear counterparts.

Practise Rotational and Circular Motion

521 free Rotational and Circular Motion MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.

Exams that ask Physics questions like this

Physics is on 13 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.

Related questions