Energy, Power, and Climate

Change
Table of Contents
1 CIRCULAR KINEMATICS

2 CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION

1 Energy and Power Thermal Concepts

1.1 Concepts

1.2 Examples

1.3 Problems and Questions

2
2.1 Concepts

Velocity is tangent to the circle (velocity is always tangent to a path)

o Sketch on the circle

acceleration=

change velocity
time

o
o
o

acceleration points parallel to velocity = speeding up

acceleration points antiparallel to velocity = slowing down
acceleration points perpendicular to velocity = changing direction

Any combination of these is possible using vector components

Moving in a circle at a constant speed: not speeding up/slowing down

o Therefore, acceleration is perpendicular to the velocity

Centripetal
o center seeking (points towards the center - ALWAYS)
o Sketch on previous velocity diagram

Calculating centripetal acceleration:

o
o

ac =

a is proportional to the square of v

a is indirectly proportional to r

2.2 Examples

Find Earths acceleration around the sun

2.3 Problems and Questions

Speed required at Earths avg. radius

v
r