Question

A block is hung by a string from the inside roof of a van. When the van goes straight ahead at a speed of 31 m/s, the block hangs vertically down. But when the van maintains this same speed around an unbanked curve (radius = 145 m), the block swings toward the outside of the curve. Then the string makes an angle è with the vertical. Find è.

Answer 1

tan è = (horizontal force)/(vertical force)
= [M*V^2/R]/(M*g)
= V^2/(R*g)
= 0.676

è = 34 degrees