© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Motion in a circle
• Uniform circular motion is constant speed along a circular
path.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Motion in a circle
• Car speeding up along a circular path

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Motion in a circle
• Car slowing down along a circular path

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Acceleration for uniform circular motion

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Acceleration for uniform circular motion
• For uniform circular motion,
the instantaneous acceleration
always points toward the
center of the circle and is
called the centripetal
acceleration.
• The magnitude of the
acceleration is arad = v2/R.
• The period T is the time for one revolution, and
arad = 4π2R/T 2.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Uniform circular motion

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Centripetal force

BIG IDEA….

Centripetal force keeps an

object in circular motion.
© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.
 Centripetal force

The force exerted on a whirling can is toward the center.

NO outward force acts on the can.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Centripetal and centrifugal forces

The “centrifugal-force effect” is attributed not to any real

force but to inertia—the tendency of the moving body to
follow a straight-line path.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Centrifugal forces – MISCONCEPTION!!
•When an object moves in a circular motion there MUST be an
outward force.
•NO!!!
•This apparent outward force on a rotating or revolving body is called
centrifugal force. Centrifugal means “center-fleeing,” or “away from
the center.”
•If there was an outward force, we would see something completely
different than what actually happens.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Nonuniform circular motion
• If the speed varies, the motion is nonuniform circular motion.
• The radial acceleration component is still arad = v2/R, but
there is also a tangential acceleration component atan that is
parallel to the instantaneous velocity.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Sample problems in the video tutorial

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Sample problems in the video tutorial

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.