A bicycle racer is riding at a speed of 13.2 m/s around a circular track with a radius of 40.0 m. If the magnitude of the centripetal force is 377 N, what is the combined mass of the bike and rider?

Answer 1

To find the combined mass of the bike and rider, we first need to calculate the centripetal force acting on the bicycle racer using the formula:

F_c = (m * v^2) / r

where:
F_c = centripetal force (377 N)
m = combined mass of the bike and rider (unknown)
v = speed of the bike racer (13.2 m/s)
r = radius of the circular track (40.0 m)

Plugging in the values we have:

377 = (m * (13.2)^2) / 40.0

Now we can solve for m:

377 = (m * 174.24) / 40.0
377 * 40.0 = m * 174.24
15080 = 174.24m
m = 15080 / 174.24
m ≈ 86.6 kg

Therefore, the combined mass of the bike and rider is approximately 86.6 kg.