Question

If the ladybug weighs 20g and is circling at a radius of 10cm at 10m/s, what is its centripetal acceleration in m/s^2?

Answer 1

To calculate the centripetal acceleration, we can use the formula:

a = v² / r

Where:
a = centripetal acceleration
v = velocity
r = radius

Given that the velocity (v) is 10 m/s and the radius (r) is 10 cm (which we need to convert to meters), we can substitute these values into the formula:

a = (10 m/s)² / (0.1 m)

Simplifying the equation:

a = 100 m²/s² / 0.1 m
a = 1000 m/s²

Therefore, the centripetal acceleration of the ladybug is 1000 m/s².