See Conceptual Example 6 to review the concepts involved in this problem. A 9.5-kg monkey is hanging by one arm from a branch and is swinging on a vertical circle. As an approximation, assume a radial distance of 85 cm between the branch and the point where the monkey’s mass is located. As the monkey swings through the lowest point on the circle, it has a speed of 2.8 m/s. Find

(a) The magnitude of the centripetal force acting on the monkey

(b) The magnitude of the tension in the monkey’s arm.

Conceptual Example 6

In a circus, a man hangs upside down from a trapeze, legs bent over the bar and arms downward, holding his partner (see Figure 5.7). Is it harder for the man to hold his partner (a) when the partner hangs straight down and is stationary or (b) when the partner is swinging through the straight-down position? Reasoning Whenever an object moves on a circular path, it experiences a centripetal acceleration that is directed toward the center of the path. A net force, known as the centripetal force, is required to produce this acceleration.