A conical pendulum swings in a horizontal circle. If the angle of the string wit

A conical pendulum swings in a horizontal circle. If the angle of the string with the vertical increases, what happens to the tension in the string?

A conical pendulum swings in a horizontal circle. If the angle of the string with the vertical increases, what happens to the tension in the string?

Step 1: Understand that a conical pendulum swings in a circle while the string makes an angle with the vertical.
Step 2: Recognize that the pendulum has two forces acting on it: the tension in the string and the weight of the pendulum (gravity).
Step 3: When the angle of the string with the vertical increases, the pendulum moves further away from the vertical position.
Step 4: Realize that the weight of the pendulum (downward force) remains constant, but the way tension acts changes with the angle.
Step 5: The tension in the string has two components: a vertical component that balances the weight and a horizontal component that provides the centripetal force for circular motion.
Step 6: As the angle increases, the vertical component of the tension must increase to continue balancing the weight of the pendulum.
Step 7: Therefore, as the angle increases, the overall tension in the string must also increase.

Forces in a Conical Pendulum – Understanding the balance of forces acting on a conical pendulum, including tension and gravitational force.
Components of Tension – Analyzing how the tension in the string can be broken down into vertical and horizontal components.
Centripetal Force – Recognizing the role of tension in providing the necessary centripetal force for circular motion.