Question

Two ladybugs, one red and one blue but otherwise on a disk of radius R that identical, are sitting is spinning with angular velocity omega _0. The red edge while the blue ladybug is 1/3 of the ladybug is sitting at the way from the edge in toward the center. which ladybug has the greater angular acceleration? What is the ratio a _R/a _S Which ladybug has the greater centripetal acceleration? What is the ratio a _C, R/a _C, S?

Answer 1

If the lady bugs are sitting on a rotating disk and the disk spins with Angular velocity w_0 Then the angular velocities of both lady bugs will be, w_red = w_blue = w_0 a) Therefore when angular velocity is constant, the angular acceleration = 0 Rightarrow alpha = dw/dt = 0 Rightarrow alpha_red = alpha_blue = 0 alpha_r/alpha_b = 0/0 = undefined b) centripetal acceleration is, a_c = w^2 r a_red = w_0^2 R w_blue = w_0^2 (2R/3) a_c red/a_c blue = w_0^2/w_0^2 (2R/3) = 3/2