Question

I have a question in reference to a bug on a spinning disk. Why does the disk have to spin faster (angular speed) as the bug is place closer to the center of motion (radius). I am having issues with understanding this since the beginning of my lab proved that period, frequency and angular speed were unaffected by radius in respect to a bug on a spinning ridged plane.

Answer 1

considering the centripetal force acting on the bug on the spinning wheel/disk is given by

F = m v^2/r... (i)

the forces acting on the bug at this instant are frictional force ( acting toeards the center), centripetal force (directed away from the center) and gravitational force ( no need to consider this force as the mass of the bug is going to be constant in this particular problem). So the bug will slips out of the wheel as sson as the centripetal force must be greater than frictional force

now, as the bug started moving towards center its radial distance decreases, which decreases its centripetal force so in order to increase the centripetal force onthe bug we need to increase the angukar velocity of the wheel.

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