AP PHYSICS PROBLEM

VERTICAL CIRCULAR AND PROJECTILE MOTION PROBLEM

A 0.10 KG SOLID RUBBER BALL IS ATTACHED TO THE END OF AN 0.80 METER LENGTH OF LIGHT THREAD. THE BALL IS SWUNG IN A VERTICAL CIRCLE, AS SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAM. POINT P, THE LOWEST POINT OF THE CIRCLE, IS 0.20 METERS ABOVE THE FLOOR. THE SPEED FO THE BALLAT THE TOP OF THE CIRCLE IS 6.0 M/S, AND THE TOTAL ENERGY OF THE BALL IS KEPT CONSTANT.

A) DETERMINE THE TOTAL ENERGY OF THE BALL, USING THE FLOOR AS THE ZERO POINT FOR GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY.

B) DETERMINE THE SPEED OF THE BALL AT POINT P, THE LOWEST POINT OF THE CIRCLE.

C) DETERMINE THE TENSION IN THE THREAD AT

I) THE TOP OF THE CIRCLE

II) THE BOTTOM OF THE CIRCLE

THE BALL ONLY REACHES THE TOP OF THE CIRCLE ONCE BEFORE THE THREAD BREAKS WHEN THE BALL IS AT THE LOWEST POINT OF THE CIRCLE.

D) DETERMINE THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE THAT THE BALL TRAVELS BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND.