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12.2 Centripetal Acceleration

Question Paper

Course CIE A Level Physics

Section 12. Motion in a Circle
Topic 12.2 Centripetal Acceleration
Difficulty Medium

Time allowed: 40
Score: /28
Percentage: /100

Page 1 of 7

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Question 1a
(a)
Two runners are running around a circular track. One runner follows path X and the other follows path Y, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig 1.1

The radius of path X is 36.50 m. Path Y is parallel to, and 1.2 m outside, path X. Both runners have mass 75 kg. The maximum
lateral (sideways) friction force F that the runners can experience without sliding is 57 mN.

Show that the maximum speed at which the runner on path Y can move is 0.17 m s–1.
[2]
[2 marks]

Question 1b
(b)
Compare the centripetal acceleration and maximum speed of the runner on path X compared to path Y.
[2]
[2 marks]

Page 2 of 7

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Question 1c
(c)
Calculate the time taken for the runner in path X to complete 1 lap.

T = ............................. minutes [2]

[2 marks]

Question 1d
The runner on path Y has an ankle injury that has come back with a vengeance, so it takes them twice as long to complete 1
lap.
(d)
Determine their new centripetal acceleration.
[3]
[3 marks]

Page 3 of 7

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Question 2a
A bowl-shaped skating ramp can be modelled as a hollow sphere.
A skateboarder with a horizontal speed follows a circular path inside the bowl of radius 2.3 m, as shown in Fig 1.1.

Fig 1.1
The forces acting on the skateboarder are their weight W and the normal reaction force R of the ramp on the skateboarder. R
is at an angle θ to the horizontal.
(a)
Sketch W, R and θ on Fig 1.2.

Fig 1.2
[3]
[3 marks]

Page 4 of 7

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Question 2b
(b)
Determine an equation for W in terms of θ and the resultant force, F on the skateboarder.
[3]
[3 marks]

Question 2c
(c)
Explain why force F is significant to the motion of the skateboarder.
[2]
[2 marks]

Question 2d
(d)
For the radius of the ramp in Fig 1.1, the skateboarder travels at a speed of 6.0 m s–1.

Show that the angle θ is 32°.

[3]
[3 marks]

Page 5 of 7

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Question 3a
(a)
Explain why a particle moving in a circle with uniform speed is accelerating.
[2]
[2 marks]

Question 3b
A rollercoaster moves freely along a smooth track that is initially horizontal. The track contains a vertical circular loop around
which the rollercoaster travels, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig 1.1
The mass of each carriage is 350 kg and the diameter of the loop is 17.5 m. Assume that the resistive forces acting on the
rollercoaster are negligible.
(b)
Explain, if the rollercoaster remains in contact with the track, why the centripetal acceleration of the rollercoaster at point Y
cannot be less than 9.8 m s–2.
[2]
[2 marks]

Page 6 of 7

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Question 3c
(c)
The initial speed at which the rollercoaster in Fig 1.1 moves along the track is 26 m s–1.

Show that the rollercoaster will remain in contact with the track at point Y.
[3]
[3 marks]

Question 3d
(d)
Suggest, with a reason but without calculation, whether your conclusion in (c) would be different for if each carriage had half
the mass moving with the same initial speed.
[1]
[1 mark]

Page 7 of 7

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