5.2 Force Needed for Circular Motion Centripetal Force

 

Explanation: As discussed in chapter 5 Section 2, to move in a circle at a constant speed a mass is subject  to a centripetal force. In the case of the red ball, the centripetal force is provided by the tension of the string.  When the black sphere is in equilibrium the tension of the string is equal to the weight of the black sphere.  By writing this down, and using Equation 5.8, a relationship between the quantities measured by the simulation can be found.  This applet will be revisited in chapter 9 when discussing angular momentum.

Source: Fu-Kwun Hwang