Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]PhysicsGravitation
A pendulum having a bob of mass m hangs in a ship that is sailing along the equator from east to west. The angular speed of the earth's rotation is and the radius of the earth is R . Determine the speed of the ship due to the rotation of the earth about its axis, assuming the ship is stationary with respect to the water.
Options
- AR
- B^2 R
- C2 R
- DR 2
Correct answer
A. R
Step-by-step solution
The earth rotates about its axis with an angular speed . When the ship is stationary with respect to the water, it is at rest relative to the surface of the earth. Therefore, it moves along with the earth in a circular path of radius R (the radius of the earth at the equator). The speed of the ship in an inertial frame due to the rotation of the earth is simply the tangential speed of a point on the equator. This speed is given by v = R .