A ball attached to the end of a string is swung around in a circular path of radius r.If the radius is kept constant and the speed is doubled
A)the centripetal acceleration remains the same.
B)the centripetal acceleration increases by a factor of 2.
C)the centripetal acceleration decreases by a factor of 2.
D)the centripetal acceleration increases by a factor of 4.
E)the centripetal acceleration decreases by a factor of 4.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The centripetal acceleration is given by the formula a=v^2/r. As radius is kept constant, if the speed is doubled, the centripetal acceleration becomes four times larger (since v^2 increases by a factor of 4). Therefore, the correct answer is D.

A Ball Attached to the End of a String Is