How does one calculate centripetal force?
Consider the standard equation for force, F = ma. In a centripetal system, the acceleration a is given by a = v^2/r. Plugging this in to the equation for force yields F = mv^2/r; hence to calculate centripetal force, we need to know the mass m (in kg) of the object in centripetal motion, it's velocity in meters per second, and the radius of its motion in meters. Putting these units together, we end up with the centripetal force in kgm/s^2, or Newtons.
LW
Related Physics A Level answers
All answers ▸What is the Young's modulus of a material?
How would I derive Kepler's third law from Newton's law of gravitation and the equations of circular motion?
What is the maximum speed of an electron emitted from a metal surface with a threshold frequency of 5.706*10^(14) by light with a wavelength of 350nm?
A student is measuring the acceleration due to gravity, g. They drop a piece of card from rest, from a vertical height of 0.75m above a light gate. The light gate measures the card's speed as it passes to be 3.84 m/s. Calculate an estimate for g.