A student is assigned the task of measuring the startup acceleration of a large RV (recreational vehicle) using an iron ball suspended from the ceiling by a long string. In accelerating from rest, the ball no longer hangs vertically, but at an angle to the vertical.
(a) Is the angle of the ball forward or backward from the vertical?
(b) If the string makes an angle of 3.0 degrees from the vertical, what is the initial acceleration of the RV?