Standard +0.3 This is a standard circular motion problem requiring resolution of forces (lift and weight) and application of F=mv²/r. While it involves multiple steps (resolving vertically and horizontally, then finding the angle), the setup is straightforward and follows a well-practiced M3 technique with no conceptual surprises. The 7 marks reflect routine working rather than difficulty.
A bird of mass 0.5 kg, flying around a vertical feeding post at a constant speed of 6 ms\(^{-1}\), banks its wings to move in a horizontal circle of radius 2 m. The aerodynamic lift \(L\) newtons is perpendicular to the bird's wings, as shown.
\includegraphics{figure_1}
Modelling the bird as a particle, find, to the nearest degree, the angle that its wings make with the vertical. [7 marks]
A bird of mass 0.5 kg, flying around a vertical feeding post at a constant speed of 6 ms$^{-1}$, banks its wings to move in a horizontal circle of radius 2 m. The aerodynamic lift $L$ newtons is perpendicular to the bird's wings, as shown.
\includegraphics{figure_1}
Modelling the bird as a particle, find, to the nearest degree, the angle that its wings make with the vertical. [7 marks]
\hfill \mbox{\textit{Edexcel M3 Q1 [7]}}