Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 6e

Chapter 6 – Circular Motion and Other

Applications of Newton’s Laws
 You are riding on a Ferris wheel that is rotating with constant
speed. The car in which you are riding always maintains its
correct upward orientation - it does not invert. What is the
direction of your centripetal acceleration when you are at the
top of the wheel?

1. upward
2. downward 33% 33% 33%
3. impossible to determine

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The centripetal acceleration is always toward the
center of the circular path.
 You are riding on the Ferris wheel of question 1.
What is the direction of the normal force exerted by
the seat on you when you are at the top of the
wheel?

1. upward
2. downward
33% 33% 33%
3. impossible to determine

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The normal force is always perpendicular to the
surface that applies the force. Because your car
maintains its orientation at all points on the ride,
the normal force is always upward.
 Which of the following is impossible for a car
moving in a circular path?

1. the car has tangential

acceleration but no centripetal
acceleration. 33% 33% 33%
2. the car has centripetal
acceleration but no tangential
acceleration.
3. the car has both centripetal
acceleration and tangential
acceleration.

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If the car is moving in a circular path, it must have
centripetal acceleration given by Equation 4.15.
 Consider the passenger in the car making a left turn
in the figure below. Which of the following is correct
about forces in the horizontal direction if the person
is making contact with the right-hand door?

1. The passenger is in
equilibrium between real
forces acting to the right and 25% 25% 25% 25%
real forces acting to the left.
2. The passenger is subject only
to real forces acting to the
right.
3. The passenger is subject only
to real forces acting to the
left.
4. None of these is true.

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The only forces acting on the passenger are the
contact force with the door and the friction force
from the seat. Both of these are real forces and
both act to the left in Figure 6.11. Fictitious forces
should never be drawn in a force diagram.
 A baseball and a basketball, having the same mass,
are dropped through air from rest such that their
bottoms are initially at the same height above the
ground, on the order of 1 m or more. Which one
strikes the ground first?
1. the baseball
2. the basketball
33% 33% 33%
3. both strike the ground at
the same time

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The basketball, having a larger cross-sectional
area, will have a larger force due to air resistance
than the baseball. This will result in a smaller net
force in the downward direction and a smaller
downward acceleration.