Mechanics: Circular Motion and Gravitation
Circular Motion and Gravitation: Audio Guided Solution
Extra Problem 9:
It has been suggested that rotating cylinders several miles in length and several miles in diameter be placed in space and used as colonies. Inhabitants of the space colonies would live on the inside surface of the cylinder. Inertial effects would resemble gravity's influence and keep them 'plastered to the surface.' Suppose that you are an inhabitant of a space colony which is 10.4 miles in length and 5.2 miles in diameter. How many revolutions per hour must the cylinder have in order for the occupants to experience a centripetal acceleration equal to the acceleration of gravity? HINT: Begin by finding the tangential velocity and convert to revolutions per hour. Given: 1609 m = 1 mile
Audio Guided Solution
Habits of an Effective Problem Solver
An effective problem solver by habit approaches a physics problem in a manner that reflects a collection of disciplined habits. An effective problem-solver...
- ... eads the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
- ... identifies the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., m = 61.7 kg, v= 18.5 m/s, R = 30.9 m, Fnorm = ???.
- ... uses physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
- ... identifies the appropriate formula(s) to use.
- ... performs substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.
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