Two children are riding on a merry-go-round. Child A is at a greater distance from the axis of rotation than child B. Which child has the larger centripetal acceleration?
A) Child A
B) Child B
C) They have the same zero centripetal acceleration.
D) They have the same non-zero centripetal acceleration.
E) There is not enough information given to answer the question.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The centripetal acceleration of an object moving in a circle is directly proportional to the distance from the axis of rotation. Therefore, Child A, who is at a greater distance from the axis of rotation, will have a larger centripetal acceleration compared to Child B.

Two Children Are Riding on a Merry-Go-Round