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The diagram shows a girl swinging a rubber ball in a horizontal circle above her head - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 5
The diagram shows a girl swinging a rubber ball in a horizontal circle above her head. (i) In which direction does the resultant force act on the ball? Put a cross ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows a girl swinging a rubber ball in a horizontal circle above her head - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
In which direction does the resultant force act on the ball?
Answer
The resultant force acting on the ball is directed towards the centre of the circle. This is because, in circular motion, an object experiences a centripetal force that keeps it moving in a curved path. Therefore, the correct answer is option D.
Step 2
Step 3
Suggest what would happen to the ball as the girl gets tired.
Answer
As the girl gets tired, she may not be able to maintain the strength of the force required to keep the ball in circular motion. Consequently, the ball would begin to fall towards the ground or move in a straight line off its circular path due to the loss of centripetal force.