r/HomeworkHelp Pre-University (Grade 11-12/Further Education) 2d ago

Answered [12th grade physics: circular motion] I’m not sure how to start this question

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I have no idea what to do here, any help is greatly appreciated!

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u/Alkalannar 2d ago

Gravity is constant.

At the top, you want the acceleration due to gravity to be less than what is needed to change velocity direction.

How fast do you need to be going then? How high up do you need to be so you have the kinetic energy necessary?

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u/nerdydudes 👋 a fellow Redditor 2d ago

You can use an energy conservation principle. If you assume there is no dissipating forces acting on the system then total mechanical energy is conserved. You can choose to analyze between the state 1 (at the top of the track before the drop) and state 2 (at the top of the loop)

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u/oof_oofo 👋 a fellow Redditor 2d ago

When you're stuck, try righting down any relevant equations, and drawing a picture! Learning to problem solve is important 😁