A pilot performs a vertical manoeuvre around a circle with a radius R. Which of the following is true about the pilot’s apparent weight?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The scenario involves a pilot moving in a vertical circular path of radius R, so the apparent weight is the normal force the aircraft would exert on the pilot as it follows the circular trajectory.
Option 1: 'It increases when he moves from the lowest to the highest point of the circle.' This would imply the pilot feels heavier at the top, which contradicts the need for centripetal force directed toward the circle’s center. At the top, the weight plus normal force must supply m v^2 / R toward the center; typically the normal force is smaller than at the bottom, so this increase is not correct.
Option 2: 'It decreases when he moves from the highest to the lowest point of the circle.' This describes a change from top to bottom, but the intuitive and standard result is the opposite: the apparent weight is greatest at the bottom and smallest at the top, so decreasing from top to bottom would be reversed.
Option 3: 'Remains constant at all points.' In a vertical circle, gravity changes with position relative to the pilot, so the normal force must adjust to satisfy circular motion. Therefore, the apparent weight cannot be constant throughout the path.
Option 4: 'It decreases when he moves from the lowest to the highest point of the circle.' This matches the well-known behavior: at the bottom, the normal force is large to provide the required centripetal force plus support against gravity, while at the top, gravity assists the centripetal requirement and the normal force is reduced, often becoming small or even zero if v is not large enough. Hence the apparent weight is smallest at the top and largest at the bottom, so moving from bottom to top corresponds to a decrease in apparent weight.

SPHY001 Practice Quiz - Unit 06 | LA046

A pilot performs a vertical manoeuvre around a circle with a radius R. Which of the following is true about the pilot’s apparent weight?

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