Skip to main content
Ch 08: Dynamics II: Motion in a Plane
Chapter 8, Problem 8

A heavy ball with a weight of 100 N (m = 10.2 kg) is hung from the ceiling of a lecture hall on a 4.5-m-long rope. The ball is pulled to one side and released to swing as a pendulum, reaching a speed of 5.5 m/s as it passes through the lowest point. What is the tension in the rope at that point?

Verified Solution

Video duration:
5m
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Tension in a Rope

Tension is the force exerted along a rope or string when it is pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends. In the context of a pendulum, the tension in the rope must counteract both the weight of the pendulum bob and provide the necessary centripetal force to keep it moving in a circular path at the lowest point of its swing.
Recommended video:
Guided course
06:34
Calculating Tension in a Pendulum with Energy Conservation

Centripetal Force

Centripetal force is the net force required to keep an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. For a pendulum at its lowest point, this force is provided by the tension in the rope, which must be greater than the gravitational force acting on the bob to maintain its circular motion.
Recommended video:
Guided course
06:48
Intro to Centripetal Forces

Conservation of Energy

The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In the case of the pendulum, potential energy at the highest point is converted into kinetic energy at the lowest point, allowing us to calculate the speed and subsequently the forces acting on the pendulum bob.
Recommended video:
Guided course
06:24
Conservation Of Mechanical Energy
Related Practice
Textbook Question
The normal force equals the magnitude of the gravitational force as a roller-coaster car crosses the top of a 40-m-diameter loop-the-loop. What is the car's speed at the top?
802
views
Textbook Question
A 500 g ball moves in a vertical circle on a 102-cm-long string. If the speed at the top is 4.0 m/s, then the speed at the bottom will be 7.5 m/s. (You'll learn how to show this in Chapter 10.) (a) What is the gravitational force acting on the ball?
326
views
Textbook Question
A 500 g ball moves in a vertical circle on a 102-cm-long string. If the speed at the top is 4.0 m/s, then the speed at the bottom will be 7.5 m/s. (You'll learn how to show this in Chapter 10.) (b) What is the tension in the string when the ball is at the top?
747
views
Textbook Question
In an amusement park ride called The Roundup, passengers stand inside a 16-m-diameter rotating ring. After the ring has acquired sufficient speed, it tilts into a vertical plane, as shown in FIGURE P8.51. b. What is the longest rotation period of the wheel that will prevent the riders from falling off at the top?
1000
views
Textbook Question
Suppose you swing a ball of mass m in a vertical circle on a string of length L. As you probably know from experience, there is a minimum angular velocity ωₘᵢₙ you must maintain if you want the ball to complete the full circle without the string going slack at the top. a. Find an expression for ωₘᵢₙ.
587
views
Textbook Question
The physics of circular motion sets an upper limit to the speed of human walking. (If you need to go faster, your gait changes from a walk to a run.) If you take a few steps and watch what's happening, you'll see that your body pivots in circular motion over your forward foot as you bring your rear foot forward for the next step. As you do so, the normal force of the ground on your foot decreases and your body tries to 'lift off' from the ground. a. A person's center of mass is very near the hips, at the top of the legs. Model a person as a particle of mass m at the top of a leg of length L. Find an expression for the person's maximum walking speed vₘₐₓ.
426
views