A block of mass m is sliding down a smooth vertical circular track. During this motion, the block is in

Step-by-step solution

When a block slides down a smooth vertical circular track, its speed v continuously changes due to the tangential component of gravity. The tangential acceleration is a_t = g , where is the angle made by the radius vector with the vertical. The radial acceleration is a_r = v^2 R , directed towards the center of the circular track. Since the block has both radial and tangential accelerations, the net acceleration of the block is non-zero at all times. Consequently, the net force acting on the block is non-zero in an