FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in PHYS 111 L – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERING Experiment No. 5

Discussion of Theory No. 5

UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION

Objective

In this experiment you will measure the period of rotation for an object and calculate the centripetal force acting on it. You
will compare this centripetal force with an equivalent force needed to maintain the object at the same radius.

Introduction

If you have ever been on an amusement park ride that travels in a curved or circular path, then you have experienced a
force, called a centripetal force, pushing you into the ride. Whether it's the back wall of the "Roundup" or "Rotor", the ride
where the floor drops from beneath your feet, or the seat belt of the "roller coaster" that supplies the force, you are
constantly being accelerated toward the ride's center of curvature. If—what you fear most on such a ride—this force were
suddenly removed, you would move off in a direction tangent to the circular path. That's what happens when you go over a
hill on the roller coaster just before the seat belt takes effect.

Figure 1 compares the motion in the presence of a centripetal force to the resulting motion of a body if the centripetal force
were to cease suddenly.

As another example consider a ball, attached to a string and whirled in a circle as shown in Fig. 2a. The tension in the string
applies the centripetal force to the ball, causing it to move in a circular path. The string pulls the ball toward the center of
the circle while the ball pulls outward on the string and hence on your hand in accordance with Newton's third law of
action and reaction. So this outward force does not act on the ball, though it is commonly and incorrectly referred to as
the centrifugal force acting on the ball. When the centripetal force is discontinued, such as in Fig. 2b when the string breaks,
the object moves in the direction of the velocity at that instant. This direction is tangential to the circle at that point.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in PHYS 111 L – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERING Experiment No. 5

The centripetal force that holds you in the ride can be determined with a few measurements and calculations. In this
experiment you will determine what variables must be known to determine the centripetal force required to keep a mass
moving in a circular path with a constant speed.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1-1

Watch: https://youtu.be/_q2D_Y6OA5s

DOT: The Bouncing Ball – Motion in Two Dimensions

I. Objective
II. Introduction
III. DOT
IV. Draw the Apparatuses/Equipments used from the linked video.

INSTRUCTIONS

Discussion of Theory DOT:

Submission Format
1. Paper Size: Short 8.5’’ x 11’’
2. Font: Use Engineering Lettering
3. Provide graphs and drawings if necessary.
4. At least 5 pages for this discussion of theory.
5. Assignment should be submitted thru softcopy (scanned copy) via MS Teams . Make sure that you are
tagged in the subject.
6. Please use the following format of your filename in submitting DOT: “1stSem-A.Y.20-
21_PHYS111L_DOT04_SURNAME, FirstName”
(Example: 1stSem-A.Y.20-21_PHYS111L_DOT05_BRIONES,Kimberly)

Prepared By:

ENGR. KIMBERLY P. BRIONES

Faculty, Civil Engineering Department

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2