Name: Date:

Solve the following problems, showing all work, set-ups, units, steps, etc.
1. What is the maximum speed with which a 1050-kg car can round a turn of radius 70.0m on a at road if the coefcient of
friction between the tires and the road is 0.800? Is this result independent of the mass of the car?
m = 1050kg Fn = -Fw = -(1050kg)(-9.81m/s
2
) = 10300N r = 70.0m v = ?
Ff = Fn = (0.800)(10300N) = 8240N at max speed, Ff just equals Fc

!
F
f
=
mv
2
r
v =
F
f
r
m
=
(8240N)(70.0m)
1050kg
= 23.4
m
s

m g = mv
2
/r mass cancels out - so this speed is independent of mass.
2. How large must the coefcient of friction be between the tires and the road if a car is to round a level curve of radius 85.0m
at a speed of 95.0km/h?
at max speed, Ff just balances Fc 95.0
km
/h x
1 hr
/3600 s x
1000m
/km = 26.4
m
/s

!
("mg) =
mv
2
r
= "
v
2
g r
= "
(26.4
m
s
)
2
("9.81
m
s
2
)(85.0m)
= 0.836 or larg er
3. A 1200.-kg car rounds a curve of radius 70.0m banked at an angle of 12
o
. If the car is traveling at a speed of 25.0m/s
(~90.0km/h), will a frictional force be required? If so, how much and in what direction?
m = 1200.kg r = 70.0m ! = 12.0
o
v = 25.0m/s

!
tan" = #
v
2
rg
v = #rg(tan") = #(70.0m)(#9.81
m
s
2
)(tan12.0
o
) = 12.1
m
s
going faster than 12.1
m
s
so it needs a F
f
F
f
= F
n
at its travel speed F
c
=
mv
2
r
=
(1200.kg)(25.0
m
s
)
2
70.0m
= 10700N
at it min speed F
c
=
mv
2
r
=
(1200.kg)(12.1
m
s
)
2
70.0m
= 2510N (no friction)
10700N # 2510N = 8200N down the ramp
total F
c
# no friction = friction
4. Racing on a at track, a car going 32.0m/s rounds a curve 56.0m in radius.
a. What is the cars centripetal acceleration?
b. What minimum coefcient of friction of static friction between the tires and the road would be needed for the car to
round the curve without slipping?
v = 32.0m/s r = 56.0m
Practice Problems
Rotational Motion
Page 1 of 3
New November 2011
Problem Set : Banked Curved and More . . .

!
(a) a
c
=
v
2
r
=
(32.0
m
s
)
2
56.0m
= 18.3
m
s
2
(b) F
c
= F
f
mv
2
r
= F
n
flat surface so F
n
= "F
w
= "mg
mv
2
r
= " mg =
v
2
"gr
=
(32.0
m
s
)
2
"("9.81
m
s
2
)(56.0m)
= 1.86

5. A 75.0-kg pilot ies a plane in a loop. At the top of the loop, where the plane is completely upside-down for an instant, the
pilot hangs freely in his seat and does not push against the seat belt. The airspeed indicator reads 120.m/s. What is the
radius of the pilots loop?
m = 75.0kg 120. m/s at the top at the top, Fn = 0

!
mv
2
r
= "mg r =
v
2
"g
=
(120.
m
s
)
"("9.81
m
s
2
)
= 1470m
6. A 2.00-kg object is attached to a 1.50-m long string and swung in a vertical circle at a constant speed of 12.0m/s.
a. What is the tension in the string when the object is at the bottom of its path?
b. What is the tension in the string when the object is at the top of its path?
m = 2.00kg r = 1.50m = 12.0m/s
(a) Fc = Fw + FT FT = Fc - Fw = (mv
2
/r) - mg

!
F
T
=
(2.00kg)(12.0
m
s
)
2
1.50m
" (2.00kg)("9.81
m
s
2
)
[ ]
= 212N
(b) Fc = Fw + FT FT = Fc - Fw = (mv
2
/r) - mg

!
F
T
=
"(2.00kg)(12.0
m
s
)
2
1.50m
" (2.00kg)("9.81
m
s
2
)
[ ]
= "172N
7. In traveling to the moon, astronauts aboard the Apollo spacecraft put themselves into a slow rotation in order to distribute
the suns energy evenly. At the start of their trip, they accelerated from no rotation to one revolution every minute during a
10.0-minute time interval. The spacecraft can be thought of as a cylinder with a diameter of 8.50m. Determine (a) the
angular acceleration, (b) the centripetal (radial) and linear (tangential) components of the linear acceleration of a point on
the hull of the ship 5.00min after it started this acceleration.

!
"
1
= 0 "
2
=
1rev
min
x
2# rad
rev
x
1 min
60 sec
= 0.105
rad
s
t = 10.0 min r = 4.25m
(a) $ =
%"
t
=
0.105
rad
s
& 0
600.s
= 0.000175
rad
s
2
(b) " = "
0
+ $t t = 5.00 min = 300.s
" = 0 + (0.000175
rad
s
2
)(300.s) = 0.0525
rad
s
v = "r = (0.0525
rad
s
)(4.25m) = 0.223
m
s
a
c
=
v
2
r
=
(0.223
m
s
)
2
4.25m
= 0.0117
m
s
2
inward
a = $ r = (0.000175
rad
s
2
)(4.25m) = 0.000744
m
s
2
tangential
F
T
F
W
bottom of path
F
T
F
W
top of path
Practice Problems
Rotational Motion
Page 2 of 3
New November 2011
Problem Set : Banked Curved and More . . .
8. Compare the maximum speeds at which a car can safely negotiate an unbanked turn (radius = 50.0m) in dry weather (s =
0.900) and icy weather (s = 0.100).
Fn = -Fw r = 50.0m v = ? at max speed, Ff just equals Fc

!
F
c
= F
n
= "(mg) =
mv
2
r
mass cancels v = "gr
(a) v = "(0.900)("9.81
m
s
2
)(50.0m) = 21.0
m
s
(b) v = "(0.100)("9.81
m
s
2
)(50.0m) = 7.00
m
s

9. The Daytona 500 is a major event of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) season. It is held at the
Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. The turns in this oval track have a maximum radius (at the top) of r
= 316m and are banked steeply, with ! = 31
o
. Suppose these turns were frictionless. At what speed would the race cars
have to travel around them?

!
F
c
= F
n
sin" =
mv
2
r
and F
n
cos" = #F
w
so F
n
=
#F
w
cos"
=
#mg
cos"
#mg sin"
cos"
=
mv
2
r
# gtan" =
v
2
r
tan" = #
v
2
gr
v = #(rgtan")
v = #(316m)(#9.81
m
s
2
)(tan31
o
) = 43
m
s

10. A wheel, starting from rest, undergoes uniform angular acceleration " about its xed axle. Write an expression for its linear
(tangential) acceleration, a, and its centripetal (radial) acceleration, aC, for a point P which is a distance r from the axle in
terms of ", r, and time t.

!
a = " r # = #
o
+ "t (angular speed as a function of time)
#
o
= 0 # = "t
centripetal acceleration a
c
=
v
2
r
=
(#r)
2
r
= #
2
r
a
c
= #
2
r = ("t)
2
r = "
2
t
2
r

Answers: (1) 23.4 m/s, independent; (2) 0.836 or larger; (3) 8200N; (4) 18.3m/s, 1.86; (5) 1470m; (6) 212N, 172N (7)
0.000175rad/s
2
, 0.0117m/s
2
& 0.000744 m/s
2
; (8) 21.0m/s, 7.00m/s; (9) 43m/s; (10) ac = "
2
t
2
r
Practice Problems
Rotational Motion
Page 3 of 3
New November 2011
Problem Set : Banked Curved and More . . .