Question

1) Prospective astronauts train for the large acceleration experienced during rocket launches with centrifuges. During launch an astronaut will feel 3-g accelerations (that’s three times the acceleration on earth). If the trainee needs to reach this acceleration in said centrifuge, and the period is 2 seconds: A) What must the length of the centrifuge arm be? B) What is the tangential velocity of the trainee? C) If the trainee has a mass of 70 kg what is the force on him?

Answer 1

Gravitational acceleration = g = 9.81 m/s²

Acceleration felt by the trainee = a = 3g = 3 x (9.81) m/s² = 29.43 m/s²

Time period of the centrifuge = t = 2 sec

Angular speed of the centrifuge =

= 3.1416 rad/s

Length of the centrifuge arm = L

L = 2.98 m

Tangential velocity of the trainee = V

V = 9.36 m/s

Mass of the trainee = m = 70 kg

Force on the trainee = F

F = 2060.1 N

A) Length of the centrifuge arm = 2.98 m

B) Tangential velocity of the trainee = 9.36 m/s

C) Force on the trainee = 2060.1 N