I'm still failing to see how this is an example of circular motion...
Try this out, physically. Tie something to the end of a piece of string, do as the question says and look at the path along which the object travels. It will be an arc of a circle.
Try this out, physically. Tie something to the end of a piece of string, do as the question says and look at the path along which the object travels. It will be an arc of a circle.
I thought circular motion was only true if the acceleration of the body is perpendicular to the motion. Where is this acceleration in this example?
(BTW thanks a lot tiny hobbit; this has been a huge help with my understanding of mechanics)
No, it's a tangential one.
Centrifugal is a word associated with being flung outwards. There isn't a separate force/acceleration causing this. It's the feeling you get because you would carry on in a straight line if there were not an inwards force causing you to go round in a circle.
Centrifugal is a word associated with being flung outwards. There isn't a separate force/acceleration causing this. It's the feeling you get because you would carry on in a straight line if there were not an inwards force causing you to go round in a circle.
So does this mean that in a pendulum the acceleration can be described as either tangential or in the same plane as the displacement from the centre (x¨=−ω2x)? If that's the case, how would I know which one would be appropriate for different problems?