How Do You Calculate the Centripetal Acceleration of a Salad Spinner?

In summary, the conversation discusses a kitchen gadget used for drying lettuce leaves. It is a cylindrical container with small holes and a hand crank that rotates the container to spin off water from the leaves. The conversation also mentions the radius of the container and the angular velocity at which it rotates. It ends with a request for confirmation on the calculation of the centripetal acceleration at the outer wall, which is found to be 18 m/s^2 using the provided equation and values.
  • #1
metalmagik
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0
There is a clever kitchen gadget for drying lettuce leaves after you wash them. It consists of a cylindrical container mounted so that it can be rotated about its axis by turning a hand crank. The outer wall of the cylinder is perforated with small holes. You put the wet leaves in the container and turn the crank to spin off the water. The radius of the container is 11 cm. When the cylinder is rotating at 2.2 revolutions per second, what is the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration at the outer wall?

I got 18 [itex]m/s^2[/itex] for this. Can anyone confirm this with me, or if not, work it through with me? I'm having a very bad night with physics, thanks.
 
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  • #2
It would help if one wrote the equation for centripetal acceleration.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/circ.html#circ

One revolution is 2[itex]\pi[/itex] radians, and one must use radians when dealing with angular displacement, angular velocity or angular acceleration.

So 2.2 rps gives [itex]\omega[/itex]=4.4[itex]\pi[/itex] radians/sec,

and v = [itex]\omega[/itex]r
 

FAQ: How Do You Calculate the Centripetal Acceleration of a Salad Spinner?

What is centripetal acceleration and how is it different from regular acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration that an object experiences when it moves in a circular path. Unlike regular acceleration, which is a change in speed or direction, centripetal acceleration is a change in direction only, as the speed of the object remains constant.

How is centripetal acceleration calculated?

Centripetal acceleration is calculated using the formula a = v^2 / r, where a is the centripetal acceleration, v is the velocity of the object, and r is the radius of the circular path.

What is the role of centripetal acceleration in circular motion?

Centripetal acceleration is necessary for an object to maintain its circular motion. It acts as the inward force that keeps the object moving in a circular path instead of flying off in a straight line.

How does centripetal acceleration relate to centripetal force?

Centripetal acceleration and centripetal force are directly related. Centripetal force is the force that causes an object to experience centripetal acceleration. It is always directed towards the center of the circular path.

What are some real-life examples of centripetal acceleration?

Some examples of centripetal acceleration in everyday life include the motion of a car around a curve, the rotation of a Ferris wheel, and the orbit of planets around the sun. Any type of circular motion involves centripetal acceleration.

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