A hang glider and its pilot have a total mass equal to 120 kg. While executing a 360 degree turn, the glider moves in a circle with an 8-m radius. The gliders mass is 10 m/s.
a) what is the net force on the hang glider?
b) What is the acceleration?
To find the net force on the hang glider, we need to consider the forces acting on it. In this case, we have the gravitational force and the centripetal force.
a) The gravitational force is given by the formula Fg = m * g, where m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2). In this case, the mass is 120 kg, so Fg = 120 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 1176 N.
The centripetal force is given by the formula Fc = m * a, where m is the mass and a is the centripetal acceleration. The centripetal acceleration is given by the formula a = v^2 / r, where v is the velocity and r is the radius of the circle. In this case, the radius is 8 m and the velocity is 10 m/s, so a = (10 m/s)^2 / 8 m = 12.5 m/s^2. Now we can calculate the centripetal force: Fc = 120 kg * 12.5 m/s^2 = 1500 N.
Since the glider is executing a 360-degree turn, the net force is equal to the sum of the centripetal force and the gravitational force. Therefore, the net force on the hang glider is Fnet = Fc + Fg = 1500 N + 1176 N = 2676 N.
b) The acceleration of the hang glider is the centripetal acceleration, which we calculated to be 12.5 m/s^2. Therefore, the acceleration of the hang glider is 12.5 m/s^2.