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Circular Motion Confusion

Question:
In a washing machine clothes are placed inside a metal drum with small holes in it. When the wet clothes are spun anticlockwise, the drum rotates at high speed and water escapes through the holes.
Add an arrow to diagram to show the direction path which the drop od water follows.

Answer: see diagram

What I'm confused about it that the water droplet follows the anticlockwise direction of the drum.... should it not be in the opposite direction (i.e, clockwise)?

Thanks!

phys.bmp99.9KB

Reply 1

mackin boi

if the water went in the opposite direction it wudnt travel anywhere it wud jus go down....me thinks ure thinkin 2 hard into it hehe :smile:

Reply 2

john !!

can you explain why you'd expect the water to go clockwise?

Reply 3

Mimo

Well... I would expect the water droplet to remain where it is while the drum spins anticlockwise... so in a way, 'moving' clockwise...
Not very scientific, I know. I just don't understand why it would move in the direction of the drum.

Reply 4

SinghFello

I though the same thing when I did that past paper!
I put it facing the clockwise direction too.

Reply 5

nas7232

think of a ball on a string, you fling it about in a circular motion, as soon as T snaps or you let go, the ball will travel at tangents to the circular motion.. same thing in this situation, always make it as simple as possible. I used to messed up loads of phy6 stuff by making things more complex than it really is.

Reply 6

john !!

I don't understand why it would go clockwise. Are you thinking of observing the water relative to the drum?

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