Question

A bug walking on the circular rim of a flower
pot completes one lap around the planter in
9.798 s.
If the radius of the planter is 12.8 cm, how
fast was it traveling?
Answer in units of cm/s.
How fast in m/s?
Answer in units of m/s

Answer 1

The circumference of any circle is (pi) x (2 x the radius).
The circumference of the rim of the flower pot is (25.6 pi) cm.

Speed of the bug = (distance covered) / (time to cover the distance)

                               =    (25.6 pi cm)  /  (9.798 sec)

                               =           8.208  cm/sec .        (rounded)

To change units:

                         (8.208 cm/sec) x (1 meter / 100 cm)

                     =        0.082  meter/sec          (rounded)


The bug's centripetal acceleration is

                                 (speed in m/s)²  /  (radius in m)

                       =        (0.082 m/s)²  /  (0.128 m)

                       =      (0.006724 m²/s²)  /  (0.128 m)

                       =            0.0525  m/s²