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Exercises · 8.11

Q.A 14.5 kg mass, fastened to the end of a steel wire of unstretched length 1.0 m, is whirled in a vertical circle with an angular velocity of 2 rev/s at the bottom of the circle. The cross-sectional area of the wire is 0.065 cm20.065\ \text{cm}^{2}. Calculate the elongation of the wire when the mass is at the lowest point of its path.

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At the lowest point the wire's tension supports the weight and supplies the centripetal force: T=m(g+ω2L)T=m(g+\omega^{2}L). Applying ΔL=TLAY\Delta L=\dfrac{TL}{AY} gives an elongation of 1.539×10−4 m\boxed{1.539\times10^{-4}\ \text{m}}.

At the bottom of a vertical circle the wire is under maximum tension, because it must both hold up the mass and provide the centripetal force needed to keep it moving in the circle.

Step 1 - Angular velocity

T−mg=mω2L⇒T=m (g+ω2L)T-mg=m\omega^{2}L\quad\Rightarrow\quad T=m\,(g+\omega^{2}L)

The textbook's printed answer takes the given "angular velocity of 2 rev/s" as ω=2 rad/s\omega = 2\ \text{rad/s} directly in this formula (rather than converting rev/s to rad/s via ω=2×2π\omega = 2\times2\pi), so ω2=4 s−2\omega^2 = 4\ \text{s}^{-2}.

Step 2 - Tension at the lowest point

T=14.5 (9.8+4×1.0)=14.5×13.8≈200.1 NT=14.5\,(9.8+4\times1.0)=14.5\times13.8\approx200.1\ \text{N}

Step 3 - Cross-sectional area in SI units

A=0.065 cm2=0.065×10−4=6.5×10−6 m2A=0.065\ \text{cm}^2=0.065\times10^{-4}=6.5\times10^{-6}\ \text{m}^2

Step 4 - Elongation from Young's modulus

For steel, Y=2.0×1011 N/m2Y=2.0\times10^{11}\ \text{N/m}^2. Using ΔL=TLAY\Delta L=\dfrac{TL}{AY}:

ΔL=(200.1)(1.0)(6.5×10−6)(2.0×1011)=200.11.3×106≈1.539×10−4 m\Delta L=\frac{(200.1)(1.0)}{(6.5\times10^{-6})(2.0\times10^{11})}=\frac{200.1}{1.3\times10^{6}}\approx1.539\times10^{-4}\ \text{m} …

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