A 25 kg girl sitting on a carousel is moving at a speed of 4.0 m/s. If the girl is 5.0 m from the axis of the carousel, what is the centripetal force that maintains her circular motion?

Answer 1

To find the centripetal force that maintains the girl's circular motion, we can use the formula:

F = m * v^2 / r

Where:
F = centripetal force
m = mass of the girl (25 kg)
v = speed of the girl (4.0 m/s)
r = radius of the circular motion (5.0 m)

Plugging in the values:

F = 25 kg * (4.0 m/s)^2 / 5.0 m
F = 25 kg * 16 m^2/s^2 / 5.0 m
F = 400 kg m/s^2 / 5.0 m
F = 80 N

Therefore, the centripetal force that maintains the girl's circular motion is 80 Newtons.