1.
In Activity 1, which way did the blue marble travel when the cup was removed? If
How does the velocity of the bobber when spun with a mass of 14 washers in the
cylinder compare with the velocity of the bobber when spun with a mass of 8 washers in the cylinder?
The blue marble will continue in the same direction once the cup is removed thanks to Newton's First Law. The principle of conservation of angular momentum suggests that the bobber with 14 washers will have a
lower velocity than the one with 8 washers
because as mass increases, velocity decreases.
2.
Describe the relationship between the mass of the cylinder with the washers and the velocity of the bobber. The greater the mass of the cylinder with the washers the greater the velocity
.
3.
What do you notice about the relationship between the centripetal force and the weight of the cylinder with washers? Explain the reason for this relationship.
The greater the weight of the cylinder with washers the greater the centripetal force
.
4.
How will centripetal force be affected if you double the velocity at which you spin
the sphere? The velocity has a quadratic relationship with centripetal acceleration, so when the velocity is doubled,
the centripetal acceleration is quadrupled
.
5.
What would you expect to happen to the velocity of the bobber if the mass of the washers in the cylinder remained the same and the radius was doubled? The velocity would increase by 2 times over what it was
.
