Question

A girl sits on a tire swing and is pushed in a circular motion by her father. Her tangential speed is 2.8 m/s and the girl travels in a circle with a diameter of 4.0 m. What is the girl's centripetal acceleration?

Answer 1

Hint: Force = mass*acceleration

Answer 2

Where do I get mass from? @ShailKumar

Answer 3

You don't need mass ! Write the formula for centripetal force as I told in other problem. Then find acceleration by dividing the force by mass

Answer 4

Did that help ?

Answer 5

Im still confused on what you mean I know the formula you told me was Centrpetal force=mass*speed^2/radius but im not sure what to do with it

Answer 6

OK. So, acceleration = Force / mass
i.e acceleration = mass*speed^2/radius/mass

Answer 7

So acceleration = speed^2/radius

Answer 8

So it would be 2.8^2/2.0?

Answer 9

Yes

Answer 10

Which would give you 3.92m/s^2

Answer 11

That's correct !

Answer 12

Thank you!

Answer 13

You are welcome :)