Exam-style question
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Which of the following best describes the effect of increasing the radius at which a force is applied to a fixed torque?.
- A.The moment of inertia increases.
- B.The angular acceleration increases.
- C.The torque increases.
- D.The force required to maintain the same angular acceleration decreases.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The force required to maintain the same angular acceleration decreases.
Explanation
Why this works
Torque τ = r F. For a fixed τ and larger r, the required force F = τ/r becomes smaller.
Thus, applying the same torque at a greater radius reduces the force needed to achieve a given angular acceleration.
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