Moderate

When a body moves in a circle of radius r with linear speed V its centripetal force is_______________?

Correct answer: C. mV2/r

  • A. mV/r2
  • B. mV/r
  • C. mV2/r
  • D. mV2/r2

Explanation

For circular motion, the required centripetal acceleration is v²/r, so Newton's second law gives F = m(v²/r) = mV²/r. The force increases with the square of speed and decreases as radius increases. The likely mistake is choosing mV/r, which omits the second factor of speed.

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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.

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