Question

A Child In A Merry-Go-Round Press Presses The Side Of His Seat Radially Outward. Why?

Answer 1

Hint: In order to solve this question, we are going to first tell what all forces are acting on the child in the Merry-Go-Round. The forces acting predict what reaction forces the child needs to exert in order to stay in equilibrium. Then, we will give the formula of the force responsible for pressing the seat.

Formula used:
The centrifugal force formula is given by the equation
\[{F_C} = - \dfrac{{m{v^2}}}{r}\]
Where, \[m\]is the mass of the child, \[v\] is the velocity and\[r\]is the radial distance of the child from the center of circular motion.

Complete step-by-step solution:
When a child is in Merry-Go- Round press, it experiences a centrifugal force which is directed radially outwards from the center of the circular motion of the child. A centrifugal force is in fact a fictitious force which is equal and opposite to the centripetal force that keeps an object rotating in the circular path. It depends on the mass of the object, its speed of rotation and the distance from the center. The more massive the object, more is the centrifugal force acting on the object.
The centrifugal force formula is given by the equation
\[{F_C} = - \dfrac{{m{v^2}}}{r}\]
Where, \[m\]is the mass of the child, \[v\] is the velocity and\[r\]is the radial distance of the child from the center of circular motion.

Note: It is important to note that the child presses the seat in the Merry-Go-Round press, he presses the seat outwards due to this outward directed centrifugal false force. The child is not experiencing any real force outward, but he must exert a force to keep from flying off the merry-go-round.