Horizontal Circular Lab

Hypothesis: As centripetal force increases, so does the angle on an accelerometer.

Introduction: Fc is centripetal force, which always acts toward the center of the circle. This force acting toward the center is the centripetal acceleration. The acceleration is continuously changing because the direction of the object traveling in a circle is always changing, but the magnitude is the same. Therefore, a velocity change is a change in acceleration by definition. Velocity is always tangent to the circle.

-We can connect centripetal force with ΣF=ma.

Ex. 1) What is the instantaneous velocity?

μ= 1.80 r= 20.0 m

Procedure: See lab book.

Data:

m r t Ave. speed=(2 r)/t

Fc Accepted

Trial 1 44 kg 8.4 m 62 s 8.5 m/s 380 N

Trial 2 44 kg 8.4 m 63 s 8.4 m/s 370 N

Trial 3 44 kg 8.4 m 60 s 8.8 m/s 410 N

m θ Fc Measured

Trial 1 44 kg 42 Ñ" 390 N

Trial 2 44 kg 40 Ñ" 360 N

Trial 3 44 kg 45 Ñ" 430 N

% Error

Trial 1 3.0 %

Trial 2 3.0 %

Trial 3 5.0 %

Sample