Looking at the definition given for centripetal force, what happens to the force as you increase the radius?
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The centripetal force acting on a particle is given by F = mv2/r. If the centripetal force and mass are kept constant, increasing the radius of the particle's circular path will mean that the particle's velocity must decrease. Note that the question is asking about the radius of the particle's circular path, not just the radius of the particle.
Dominique Jan T.
Try a few values of increasing the radius without changing the period, and you will see that centripetal force increases with radius. Explain the reason for this. (Hint: it will help to look at the tangential speed and angular velocity values as you increase the value of radius.)
Morgan C.
What is the centripetal force?
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