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The Round Trip

A cyclist competes in a one-lap race arond a flat, circular course of radius r. Starting from rest and speeding up at a constant rate throughout the race, the cyclist covers the entire course in a time delta t. The mass of the bicycle (including the rider) is m. Which of the following quantities are constant in this problem? (Note that there can be more than one answer.)
A) The magnitude of the tangential force.
B) The magnitude of the tangential acceleration.
C) The magnitude of the radial force.
D) The magnitude of the radial acceleration.
E) The magnitude of the normal force on the bicycle + rider.
F) The magnitude of the bicycle + rider's weight.
G) The angular velocity w of the bicycle + rider.

Solution Preview

A) The tangential speed increasing at a constant rate requires a constant tangential force.
B) With constant tangential force, the tangential acceleration is also constant.
C) See ...

Solution Summary

Answers for (a) through (g) are explained in 120 words.