A top with a diameter of 5.00 cm is spinning at 200.00 revolutions per minute. What is the centripetal acceleration at the rim?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The centripetal acceleration $a_c$ can be calculated using the formula $a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}$, where $v$ is the linear velocity at the rim and $r$ is the radius of the top. First, convert the angular velocity from revolutions per minute (rpm) to radians per second (rad/s): $200.00 \, \text{rpm} = 200 \times \frac{2\pi}{60} \, \text{rad/s}$. The radius $r = \frac{5.00 \, \text{cm}}{2} = 0.025 \, \text{m}$. The linear velocity $v = \omega r = 200 \times \frac{2\pi}{60} \times 0.025$. Plugging these values into the formula gives $a_c = 3.95 \, \text{m/s}^2$.

A Top with a Diameter of 5