A dog chases a cat in a circular path around the base of a tree. The velocity of the dog is 5.4 m/s. If the centripetal acceleration of the dog is 48.6 m/s2, what is the radius of the path?

Given:

Velocity of the dog, v = 5.4 m/s

Centripetal acceleration, a = 48.6 m/s2

To determine:

Radius of the path

Explanation:

The centripetal acceleration is related to the velocity and radius as:

a = v²/r

r = v²/a = (5.4 m/s) ²/48.6 m/s2 = 0.6 m

Ans: Radius of the path is 0.6 m