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Q6.3-9CQ

Expert-verified
Found in: Page 219

### College Physics (Urone)

Book edition 1st Edition
Author(s) Paul Peter Urone
Pages 1272 pages
ISBN 9781938168000

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# As a skater forms a circle, what force is responsible for making her turn? Use a free body diagram in your answer.

Centripetal force is responsible for the circular motion of the skater.

See the step by step solution

## Step 1: Definition of centripetal force

The centripetal force causes a body to follow a curved path. It always moves in the opposite direction of the body, towards the fixed point of the path's instantaneous centre of curvature.

The mass of the Skater is: $\mathrm{m}$

The velocity of the skater is: $\mathrm{v}$

The radius of the circle formed is: $\mathrm{r}$

The weight of the skater is: $\mathrm{W}=\mathrm{mg}$

The centripetal force is = ${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{c}}$

## Step 2: Free body diagram

The free–body diagram when the skater forms a circle is shown below:

The expression for centripetal force is given as:

${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{c}}=\frac{{\mathrm{mv}}^{2}}{\mathrm{r}}$

A centripetal force is force that is necessary to keep the skater in a circular motion. The centripetal force is always acting towards the centre of the radius of curvature.

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