Question

A 0.023 kg beetle is sitting on a record player 0.15 m from the center of the record. If it takes
0.070 N of force to keep the beetle moving in a circle on the record, what is the tangential speed of the beetle?

0.68 m/s
0.46 m/s
0.33 m/s
0.11 m/s

Answer 1

Use centripetal force Fc = m v^2 / r, so v = sqrt(Fc r / m).

v = sqrt(0.070 N × 0.15 m / 0.023 kg) = sqrt(0.0105 / 0.023) = sqrt(0.4565) ≈ 0.68 m/s.

Answer: 0.68 m/s.