A rock tied to a string is swung around in a circle with a radius of 10 ft. The centripetal acceleration is 16.9 ft/sec2. Calculate the speed of the rock.
To calculate the speed of the rock, we can use the formula for centripetal acceleration:
a = v^2 / r
where:
a = centripetal acceleration
v = velocity (speed)
r = radius
We are given:
a = 16.9 ft/sec^2
r = 10 ft
Rearranging the formula, we can solve for v:
v = √(a * r)
Substituting the given values:
v = √(16.9 ft/sec^2 * 10 ft)
v = √(169 ft^2/sec^2)
v = 13 ft/sec
Therefore, the speed of the rock is 13 ft/sec.