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Uniform Circular Motion

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/circmot/circmotTOC.html
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Uniform circular motion
motion of an
object in a
circle with a
constant or
uniform speed
constant
change in
direction
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Uniform Circular Motion: Period
Object repeatedly
finds itself back where
it started.

The time it takes to
travel one cycle is
the period.
distance = rate time
time =
distance
rate v
T =
2 r
v

=
2t
t
r


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Quantifying Acceleration: Magnitude
v
1

v
2

Similar Triangles:
A A v
v
x
x
=
5
A
A
A
v
v
v t
r
v
v t
r
a
v
t
v
r
=

=

= =
2
2
Quantifying Acceleration: Magnitude
Centripetal Acceleration
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Applying Newtons 2
nd
Law:
F ma
F
mv
r
=
=
2
Centripetal Force
Always points toward center of circle.
(Always changing direction!)
Centripetal force is the magnitude of the force
required to maintain uniform circular motion.
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Direction of Centripetal Force,
Acceleration and Velocity
Without a centripetal
force, an object in
motion continues along
a straight-line path.
Without a centripetal
force, an object in
motion continues along
a straight-line path.
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Direction of Centripetal Force,
Acceleration and Velocity
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What if velocity decreases?
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What if mass decreases?
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What if radius decreases?
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What provides the centripetal force?
Tension
Gravity
Friction
Normal Force
Centripetal force is NOT a new force. It is simply a
way of quantifying the magnitude of the force
required to maintain a certain speed around a circular
path of a certain radius.
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Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in
horizontal circles of identical diameter but one
object goes around the circle twice as fast as the
other. The force required to keep the faster object
on the circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
the force required to keep the slower object on the path.
The answer is E. As the
velocity increases the
centripetal force required to
maintain the circle increases
as the square of the speed.

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Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in
horizontal circles with the same speed. The
diameter of one circle is half of the diameter of
the other. The force required to keep the object
on the smaller circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
the force required to keep the object on the larger
path.
The answer is D. The centripetal force needed
to maintain the circular motion of an object is
inversely proportional to the radius of the circle.
Everybody knows that it is harder to navigate a
sharp turn than a wide turn.
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Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in horizontal circles of
identical diameter and speed but one object has twice the
mass of the other. The force required to keep the more
massive object on the circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
Answer: D.The mass is directly
proportional to centripetal force.
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Tension Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
If the person doubles the
speed of the airplane,
what happens to the
tension in the cable?
F = ma
mv
r
=
2
Doubling the speed, quadruples the force (i.e.
tension) required to keep the plane in uniform circular
motion.
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Friction Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
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Friction provides the centripetal acceleration
Car Traveling Around a Circular Track
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Friction Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration
W
F
N

f
s

Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
0 F
N

f
s
-
s
F
N
0
Sum ma 0
What is the maximum
speed that a car can use
around a curve of radius
r?
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Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
0 F
N

F
C
-
s
F
N
0
Sum ma 0
F mg F
F mg
F ma mg
mv
r
mg
v g r
v g r
y N
N
x s
s
s
s
= = +
=
= =
=
=
=

0
2
2

max
max
max
max
Maximum Velocity
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F = ma
mv
r
=
2
Centripetal Force: Question
Smaller radius: larger force
required to keep it in uniform
circular motion.
A car travels at a constant
speed around two curves.
Where is the car most likely to
skid? Why?
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Gravity Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
Hubble Space Telescope
orbits at an altitude of 598 km
(height above Earths surface).
What is its orbital speed?
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Gravity and Centripetal Acceleration:
Centripetal acceleration provided by gravitational force
G m M
R
m v
R
E

=

2
2
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Gravity and Centripetal Acceleration:
G m M
R
m v
R
E

=

2
2
Solve for the velocity.
v
G m M R
m R
v
G M
R
v
G M
R
E
E
E
2
2
2
=

=

=

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Hubble Space Telescope:
v
GM
R km
v
v
E
E
=
+
=

=

598
6 67 10 974 10
7 600
11 24
( . ) (5.
,
m kg s kg)
6,976,000 m
m/ s
3 -1 -2
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Banked Curves

Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
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Banked Curves
Q: Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
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Banked Curves
Q: Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
A: To increase the centripetal force for the higher exit speed.
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The Normal Force Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
How many forces are
acting on the car (assuming
no friction)?
Engineers have learned to bank curves so that
cars can safely travel around the curve without
relying on friction at all to supply the centripetal
acceleration.
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Banked Curves
Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
F
N
cosu = mg
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Banked Curves
Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
F
N
cosu = mg
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The Normal Force as a Centripetal Force:
Two: Gravity and Normal
Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
F
N
sinu F
N
cosu
Sum ma 0
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The Normal Force as a Centripetal Force:
F mg F
mg
F F ma
mv
r
mg mv
r
v
gr
y N
x N
= + =
=
= = =
=
=

cos
cos
sin
cos
sin
tan
u
u
u
u
u
u
0
2
2
2
F
N
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The Normal Force and Centripetal Acceleration:
tanu =
v
gr
2
How to bank a curve
so that you dont rely on friction at all!!
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Artifical Gravity

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Vertical Circular Motion
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Vertical Circular Motion
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The End!