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Re: Problem with a problem



This might be turned into a real life problem if the data were taken by an
observer carrying an accelerometer on a "Nasa centrifuge", using numerical
values appropriate to that situation.

I really want to say that it is the lack of this type of problem which has
left the word "centripetal" fuzzy in our students' minds. Typically we
concentrate on situations where only one acceleration component
(tangential or centripetal) is non-zero.

Bob

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

----- Original Message -----
From: Harry L. Hightower <htower@BROOKSTONE.GA.NET>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 10:10 PM
Subject: Problem with a problem


How do you go about solving the following problem?
A thin rigid rod is rotating with a constant angular
acceleration about an axis that passes perpendicularly
through one of its ends. At one instant, the total
acceleration vector (centripetal plus tangential) at the
other end of the rod makes a 60.0 degree angle with
respect to the rod and has a magnitude of 15.0 m/s/s.
The rod has an angular speed of 2.00 rad/s at this
instant. What is the rod's length?
I am probably making this harder than what it really is.

Thanks
Harry