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February 18, 2020

Centripetal force is defined as,
The component of force acting on an object in curvilinear motion which is directed toward the axis of rotation or center of curvature.
The unit of centripetal force is Newton. The centripetal force is always directed perpendicular to the direction of the displacement of the object.
If an object accelerates according to the changes of velocity, then it can change either its speed or direction of motion. In simple terms, if any moving object in a circular path is constantly changing its direction means it is constantly accelerating. Using Newton’s second law of motion, if an object is travelling in a circular path, it is found that the centripetal force of an object moving in a circular path always acts towards the centre of the circle.
How is the Centripetal Force Calculated?
The Centripetal Force Formula is given as the product of mass (in kg) and tangential velocity (in meters per second) squared, divided by the radius (in meters). Which implies that on doubling the tangential velocity, the centripetal force will be quadrupled. Mathematically it is written as:

Where,
  • F is the Centripetal force.
  • ac is the Centripetal acceleration.
  • m is the mass of the object.
  • v is the speed or velocity of the object.
  • r is the radius.
Centripetal Force Examples
The force that pulls or pushes an object toward the centre of a circle as it travels, causing angular or circular motion is called a Centripetal Force. Some examples of Centripetal Force is given below.

A few examples of Centripetal Force
  • Spinning a ball on a string or twirling a lasso: Here the centripetal force is provided by the force of tension on the rope pulls the object in toward the centre.
  • Turning a car: Here the centripetal force is provided by the frictional force between the ground and the wheels.
  • Going through a loop on a roller coaster: The force is provided by the Normal Force as the seat or wall pushes you toward the centre.
  • Planets orbiting around the Sun: Centripetal Force is provided by Gravity.
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January 18, 2020
Einstein's mass-energy equivalence (1905):

E = mc2, equation in German-born physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity that expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other. In the equation, the increased relativistic mass (m) of a body times the speed of light squared (c2) is equal to the kinetic energy (E) of that body.

What does it say?
Energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared.
In other words ...
Mass is really just a super-condensed form of energy.
What did it teach us?
Because of the size of the constant in the equation (the speed of light squared, an unimaginably huge number) a colossal amount of energy can be released through converting a tiny amount of mass.
But was it practical?
Einstein's most famous equation hinted at the potential for the huge amounts of energy released in nuclear fission, when a large unstable nucleus breaks into two smaller ones. This is because the mass of the two smaller nuclei together is always less than the mass of the original big nucleus – and the missing mass is converted into energy.
The "Fat Man" atomic bomb dropped over Nagasaki in Japan on 9 August 1945 converted just one gram of mass to energy, but produced an explosion the equivalent around 20,000 tonnes of TNT.
Einstein himself had signed a letter to US president at the time Franklin Roosevelt recommending the atom bomb be developed – a decision he later regarded as the “one great mistake” of his life.


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