An aircraft executes a horizontal loop of radius 1 km with a steady speed of `900 km h^(-1)`. Compare its centripetal acceleration with the acceleration due to gravity.

Explanation

`r=1 km =1000m`
`v=900 km h^(-1) =900xx1000//3600=250 ms^(-1)`
Centripetal acceleration `=(v^(2))/(r)=(250xx250)/(1000)`
`=62.5 ms^(-1)`
Centripetal acceleration / acceleration due to gravity
`=62.5//9.8=6.377 ms^(-2)`.