Question

To see that the mass moves outward from the sensor due to centripetal force. Disconnect the carriage from the string and push it to the very center of the rod. Hold the rod steady and check to see the carriage does not slide outwards. If it does your apparatus is not level and must be adjusted. Once the carriage remains still at the center, turn the bar very slowly until it starts moving outwards, and then immediately stop turning the bar. The carriage should continue to move towards the outer edge of the bar.

1. As you were testing the centripetal force apparatus in part 1.2, why did the carriage continue to move towards the outer edge of the bar even after you had stopped spinning the bar?

Answer 1

This happens due to the inertia of the body. This is Newton's first law of motion. As the carriage was moving with a angular velocity, so as soon as the bar is stopped spinning the body stil has the angular velocity and tends to move in the tangential direction.

According to Newton's law - A body or object at rest stays at rest and body in motion remains in motion with the same speed and same direction unless acted by an unbalanced force.

So, we there is no change in system suddenly. Thus it tends to move tangentially aven after bar has stopped spinning.