In a laboratory experiment, the centripetal force acting on a body moving in a circular path is to be determined. The mass of the body is measured as (50.0 0.5) g , its speed as (4.00 0.06) m/s , and the radius of the circular path as (80.0 0.4) cm . The maximum possible percentage error in the calculated value of the centripetal force will be:

Step-by-step solution

The centripetal force is given by the formula F = mv^2 r . The maximum percentage error in the measurement of force is given by: F F 100 = ( m m + 2 v v + r r ) 100 Given values are: m = 50.0 g , m = 0.5 g v = 4.00 m/s , v = 0.06 m/s r = 80.0 cm , r = 0.4 cm Substituting the values: F F 100 = ( 0.5 50.0 + 2 0.06 4.00 + 0.4 80.0 ) 100 F F 100 = (0.01 + 2 0.015 + 0.005) 100 F F 100 = (0.01 + 0.03 + 0.005) 100 F F 100 = 0.045 100 = 4.5 % Answer: 4.5 %