Name: Tobias Membreno

Module 5 Homework
Directions: Complete the following problems showing all of your work. Turn in
your completed worksheet to your teacher.

Short Answer
1. When you stand on flat ground, you exert a pressure on the floor. If you were standing in an
elevator that was accelerating upward, what effect would this motion have on the pressure that
you exert on the floor of the elevator?
the total force exerted on the floor would be the sum of the gravitational force (your
weight) and the force due to the elevator’s acceleration.

2. Lisa and Cory are having a debate about gravitation. Lisa says that the astronauts in that
international Space Station (which is a distance of about 6800 km from Earth’s center) are too
far away from Earth to experience Earth’s gravitational pull, and that is why they float. Cory
insists that Lisa is incorrect. Which of them is correct in their statement, and why?
Cory is correct in this debate. Astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) are not too far away from
Earth to experience its gravitational pull. In fact, the ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 km
above the surface, which is well within the range where Earth’s gravity is still quite strong.

The reason astronauts appear to float is not because there is no gravity, but because they are in a state of
continuous free fall towards Earth. The ISS and everything inside it, including the astronauts, are falling
towards Earth at the same rate. This creates a condition known as microgravity, where the effects of gravity
are still present but the sensation of weightlessness is experienced because everything is falling together.
3. During uniform circular motion, there must always be centripetal acceleration. However, by
definition, during uniform circular motion the object has a constant speed. How do we know
there is acceleration when we observe this type of motion?
Elevator Acceleration: When standing in an upward-accelerating elevator, the pressure you exert on the floor increases due to the
added force from the acceleration.
Gravitation Debate: Cory is correct. Astronauts float in the ISS because they are in continuous free fall towards Earth, experiencing
microgravity, not because they are too far from Earth’s gravitational pull.
Uniform Circular Motion: In uniform circular motion, there is acceleration because the direction of the velocity is constantly changing,
even though the speed remains constant. This is called centripetal acceleration.

4. A satellite that orbits the Earth is not physically contacting the Earth in any way. What, then,
produces the centripetal force that allows for the satellite to experience uniform circular
motion? The centripetal force that allows a satellite to experience uniform circular motion is provided by
Earth’s gravitational pull. Even though the satellite is not in physical contact with Earth, gravity
acts as an invisible force that continuously pulls the satellite towards the center of the Earth.
This gravitational force keeps the satellite in its circular orbit, providing the necessary
centripetal force to maintain its motion.
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 5. Laura is holding a box full of paper to take to the recycling bin. She carries the box from one side
of the room to the other. Has she done any work on the box? Why or why not?

Laura has not done any work on the box in the context of physics. Work is defined as the
transfer of energy through a force acting over a distance in the direction of the force. Since
Laura is carrying the box horizontally, the force she exerts (upward to counteract gravity) is
perpendicular to the direction of her movement (horizontal). Therefore, no work is done on
the box because the force and the displacement are not in the same direction.
6. Why must work be done at the beginning of a roller coaster ride in order for the ride to
proceed?

Work must be done at the beginning of a roller coaster ride to lift the
coaster to a higher elevation, giving it potential energy. This initial work is
usually done by a motor or chain lift. Once the coaster reaches the top, the
potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it descends, allowing
the ride to proceed through the rest of the track using gravity.

Practice
7. A pressure sensor inside of a mixing tank is designed to turn red when the pressure inside the
tank exceeds 1.9 kPa. If the sensor is a square, 10 cm on each side, how great a force must be
exerted on the sensor in order for it to turn red?

Separate page

8. A certain planet has a radius of 4990 km. If, on the surface of that planet, a 95.0 kg object has a
weight of 591 N, then what is the mass of the planet?

Separate page

9. A racecar is driving around a circular track. The car is moving with a speed of 49.7 m/s, and the
track has a radius 114 m. What is the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration of the car?

Separate page

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10. Luther is designing a roller coaster for an amusement park. At one point, the roller coaster will
enter a horizontal loop at a speed of 31.8 m/s. If Luther does not want the centripetal
acceleration to exceed 29.0 m/s2, what is the minimum radius of the horizontal loop?

Separate page

11. To train for the physical demands of a shuttle launch, a 78.4 kg astronaut is put into a large
centrifuge, where they are spun at a high speed. The centrifuge has a radius of 6.40 m, and spins
with a period of 1.84 seconds. What is the centripetal force experienced by the astronaut?

Separate page

12. Martin is spinning a rope over his head with a weight attached to the end. The rope has a length
of 1.7 m, and Martin spins it so that the weight has a velocity of 5.9 m/s. If the rope can only
withstand a force of 88 N, what is the maximum mass the weight can have?

Separate page

13. Claude is pushing a laboratory cart into the physics lab. The cart has a mass of 34.1 kg, and
Claude pushes with a force of 19.0 N, at an angle of 17.6° below horizontal. If He pushes the cart
for 7.40 m, how much work does he do on the cart?

Separate page

14. Jenny is sledding down a hill. At one point, she has a velocity of 8.4 m/s. If Jenny has a mass of
59 kg, what is her kinetic energy at this point?

Separate page

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 15. Samantha is on her bicycle, at the top of a 25 m hill. If Samantha and the bicycle have a
combined mass of 73 kg, what is her gravitational potential energy at this point?

Separate page

16. When a certain roller coaster is at the top of a 61 m hill, it has no velocity. As the coaster
descends the hill, It gains speed. What is the roller coaster’s speed when the it has a height of 34
m above the ground?

Separate page

Application
Brady is setting up a track for his toy car to race down. The track starts at the top of a staircase that is
3.60 meters tall. At the bottom of the staircase, the car runs through a horizontal loop. The toy car has a
mass of 41.5 grams. Assume no friction is present.

17. At the top of the staircase, how much gravitational potential energy does the toy car have?
To find the gravitational potential energy (( PE )) at the top of the staircase, we use the formula:
[ PE = mgh ]
Where:
( m ) is the mass of the toy car = 41.5 grams = 0.0415 kg
( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity = 9.8 m/s²
( h ) is the height of the staircase = 3.60 m
Substitute the values:
[ PE = 0.0415 , \text{kg} \times 9.8 , \text{m/s}^2 \times 3.60 , \text{m} ]
Calculate the value:
[ PE \approx 1.46 , \text{J} ]
18. Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, what is the velocity of the car?
To find the velocity (( v )) at the bottom of the staircase, we use the principle of conservation of energy. The potential energy at the top is converted
into kinetic energy at the bottom:
[ PE_{\text{top}} = KE_{\text{bottom}} ]
[ mgh = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 ]
Rearrange to solve for ( v ):
[ v = \sqrt{2gh} ]
Substitute the values:
[ v = \sqrt{2 \times 9.8 , \text{m/s}^2 \times 3.60 , \text{m}} ]
Calculate the value:
[ v \approx 8.4 , \text{m/s} ]
19. The horizontal loop at the bottom of the staircase has a radius of 0.71 m. What is the centripetal
force that the track exerts on the car when it is in the loop? (Hint: use the velocity value that you
found in question 18) To find the centripetal force (( F_c )) that the track exerts on the
car in the loop, we use the formula:
[ F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r} ]
Where:
( m ) is the mass of the toy car = 0.0415 kg
( v ) is the velocity = 8.4 m/s
—go on to the next page— ( r ) is the radius of the loop = 0.71 m
Substitute the values:
[ F_c = \frac{0.0415 , \text{kg} \times (8.4 , \text{m/s})^2}{0.71 , \text
{m}} ]
Calculate the value:
[ F_c \approx 4.1 , \text{N} ]
20. The toy car’s 4 wheels have a total contact area of 5 10 𝑚 . What is the pressure that the
car exerts on the track?
To find the pressure (( P )) exerted by the car on the track, we use the formula:

[ P = \frac{F}{A} ]

Where:

( F ) is the force (weight of the car) = ( mg )

( A ) is the contact area = ( 5 \times 10^{-3} , \text{m}^2 )
First, calculate the force:

[ F = m \times g = 0.0415 , \text{kg} \times 9.8 , \text{m/s}^2 ]

[ F \approx 0.4067 , \text{N} ]

Now, calculate the pressure:

[ P = \frac{0.4067 , \text{N}}{5 \times 10^{-3} , \text{m}^2} ]

[ P \approx 81.34 , \text{Pa} ]

Therefore:

The gravitational potential energy at the top of the staircase is approximately 1.46 Joules.
The velocity of the car at the bottom of the staircase is approximately 8.4 m/s.
The centripetal force exerted by the track on the car in the loop is approximately 4.1 Newtons.
The pressure that the car exerts on the track is approximately 81.34 Pascals.