Circular Motion

(For first terminal exam)

The motion of an object or a particle along a circular path is called circular motion. For
example, motion of planets around sun, motion of electron around the nucleus, motion of
vehicles along curved roads or bicycle along circular track are some circular motions. The
uniform circular motion is a kind of two dimensional motion in a plane where the speed of the
particle is constant but velocity changes continuously due to the change in direction of motion.

Elements of Circular Motion: P2 (t2)

a) Angular Displacement: The angle subtended at the P1 (t1)

center of the circular path by the initial and final
positions of the particle in the given interval of θ
r θ1 2
time is called the angular displacement. It is O P (t=0)
denoted by θ, and its SI unit is radian.
Consider a particle describing a uniform circular
motion of radius r with a constant speed v.
Initially, at t = 0, the particle is at position P. It
reaches to position P1 at time t1 and to position P2 at time t2 such that its angular
displacement changes from θ1 to θ2. Therefore in time interval Δt = t2 – t1,
the angular displacement, Δ θ = θ2 – θ1
b) Angular Velocity (ω): The angular velocity is defined as the time rate of change of
angular displacement. That is-
Change in angular displacement
Angular Velocity (ω) = Time taken
In above circular motion, angular displacement changes from θ1 to θ2 in the time
interval t2 – t1, so,
θ2 −θ1 Δθ
Angular Velocity (ω) = =
t2 −t1 Δt
In the limit when time interval approaches to zero, the angular velocity is called the
instantaneous angular velocity. So,
Δθ dθ
Instantaneous Angular Velocity (ωins) = lim =
Δt→0 Δt dt

Its SI unit is rad/s.

c) Angular Acceleration (α): The time rate of change of angular velocity is called angular
acceleration (α). Thus,
ω2 −ω1 Δω
Angular acceleration (α) = =
t2−t1 Δt

In the limit when time interval approaches to zero,

 Δω dω
Instantaneous Angular acceleration (αins) = lim =
Δt→0 Δt dt

Its unit is rad/s2

d) Time Period (T): The time period of a circular motion is the time taken by the particle to
complete one revolution along the circular path. Its SI unit is second.
e) Frequency (f): The number of complete revolutions made per second by the particle is
called its frequency (f). Its unit is revolutions per second.
Relation between T, f and ω:
In a circular motion, when the particle completes one revolution then,

Time interval, Δ t = T, and

Angular displacement, Δ θ = 2π rad. So,
2π
Angular velocity, ω= T
1
Again, frequency f = T
2π
Therefore, ω= = 2πf
T

Relation between Linear velocity (v) and Angular velocity

(ω): B

Consider a particle moving in a circular path of radius r with s

a constant speed v in the anticlockwise direction. Suppose
in an interval of time t, the particle moves from the position θ
A
o r
A to the position B such that the angle subtended at the
center O is θ. Also let Arc AB = s. Then, by geometry,
Arc AB s
θ = radius r = r

or s = θ r --------------------(1)
Differentiating both sides with respect to time t,
ds d dθ
= (θ r) = r ---------------(2)
dt dt dt

ds dθ
Here, dt = v, and = ω is the angular velocity. Therefore
dt

v=ωr ------------------- (3)

This is the relation between linear and angular velocities.
Numerical problem:
1. Considering the motion of earth around sun in the circular orbit of radius 1.5×10 8 km,
find-
 i) Time period of revolution (T)
ii) Angular velocity (ω)
iii) The linear velocity of earth along the orbit (v) in km/s
(Solution: i) T = 365 days = ……….seconds, ii) ω =2π/T= …….rad/s and iii) v = ωr = ………km/s)

Accelerations in non-uniform circular motion

Consider a particle describing a circular motion of radius r with a non-uniform speed v in an
anticlockwise direction. If the angular velocity is ω then at any instant we have-
v=ωr ----------------- (1)
Now differentiating both sides w.r.t. time,
d𝐯 d d𝐫 dω
= (ωr)= ω +𝐫
dt dt dt dt

d𝐯
or = ωv + rα ----------------- (2)
dt

In equation 2, left hand side represents the total acceleration a, and in the right hand side,
the first term ωv = ω2r is the radial acceleration ar (directed
along radius) and the second term rα is the tangential at
acceleration at (directed along tangent). So in vector form, v
ω
a = ar + at ----------------- (3) a P

The radial and tangential accelerations are in mutually ar

perpendicular directions as in adjoining figure. So by θ
X
parallelogram law of vector addition, magnitude of total O r
acceleration is written as

a = √a2𝑟 + a2𝑡 ----------------- (4)

Note:
d𝐫
i) Radial acceleration, ar = ω dt = ωv = ω2r ( v = ωr)
This is directed along the radius and towards the center of the circular path. This
acts as the centripetal acceleration.
dω
ii) Transverse acceleration, at = r = rα
dt
It is directed along the tangent to the circular path. When the particle moves
dω
with constant speed, (v,ω are constants) then = 0. So, at = 0. In that case total
dt
acceleration a = ar = ω2r

Centripetal Acceleration and Centripetal Force

When a body is moving in a circular path with constant speed, the direction of velocity is
always along the tangent to the circular path and thus changes continuously at every point.
 This change in velocity produces a constant acceleration which is always directed along the
radius and towards the center of the circular path; and is known as the centripetal
acceleration.

The constant external force that keeps a body moving in a circular path by acting along the
radius and towards the center of circular path is called centripetal force. Therefore the
centripetal force is responsible to produce centripetal acceleration in a circular motion. So,
if m is the mass of the body and ac is the centripetal
acceleration then centripetal force, v
P
Fc = mac

The direction of centripetal force (along radius) is Fc

perpendicular to the direction of velocity (along tangent) r
in uniform circular motion. In such case the force doesn’t
O
cause the change in magnitude but changes only the
direction of velocity such that the body keeps moving in
circular path with a constant speed.

Expression for Centripetal Acceleration and Centripetal

Force. (v. imp)
Let us consider a body of mass ‘m’ moving in a circular path of radius r with a constant speed v
as shown in fig. 1. Suppose in a small interval of time Δt, the body moves from the position A to
B with an angular displacement Δθ and linear displacement Δs. Suppose V ⃗ A and V
⃗ B are the
velocities of the body at points A and B, which are directed along the tangent to the circle at
the corresponding points. Therefore the direction of V ⃗ B will make an angle Δθ to the direction
of ⃗VA as shown in fig. 2. As the speed is constant, magnitude of velocities, VA = VB = v.

R ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
−VA
Q
O Δθ
Δθ ⃗VB
⃗⃗⃗⃗
∆v ⃗VB
r
B
Δs P
A ⃗A
V
Fig. 2: calculation of change in velocity
Fig. 1
Here, change in velocity is ⃗⃗⃗⃗
∆v = V⃗B−V ⃗A =V ⃗ B + (−V⃗ A ). It can be evaluated by using
triangle law of vector addition as shown in figure 2.
When angle Δθ is very small, ΔPQR and ΔAOB are similar and the ratio of their sides are
PR AB
equal. So, =
PQ OB

Δv Δs
or = (Since PQ = |V ⃗⃗⃗⃗ | = Δv)
⃗ B | = v, PR = |∆v
v r
v
or ∆v = ∆s r ------------------- (1)
∆v ∆s v
Dividing both sides by Δt, ∆t = ×r
∆t

∆v ∆s v
In the limiting case, lim = lim (r ) ---------------------- (2)
∆t→0 ∆t ∆t→0 ∆t
∆v
Here, lim = a is the acceleration and
∆t→0 ∆t
∆s
lim = v is the speed v
∆t→0 ∆t

So from equation (2),

v v2
a = v (r ) = ---------------------- (3)
r

When∆θ → 0, Points A and B lie very close to each other and in fig 2, point P approaches to
R. In this limiting case, direction of change in velocity Δv and the acceleration ‘a’ in equation
(3) are both directed towards the center of circular path. Hence equation (3) gives the
v2 (ωr)2
centripetal acceleration. Again v = ωr, or = = ω2 r. Therefore centripetal
r r
v2
acceleration, ac = or ω2 r
r

And the centripetal force,

Fc = mac
mv2
Fc = or mω2 r ---------------------- (4)
r

This gives the centripetal force.

Centrifugal Force: A body moving along a circular path experiences a kind of force which is
directed along the radius and away from the center of the circular path. This is known as
centrifugal force. In fact, centrifugal force is a virtual force because it arises due to the
inertia of direction, and it does not have any real source. However, its effective magnitude
is equal to that of the centripetal force. Therefore we write: Centrifugal force = Fc = mv2/ r
or mrω2.
For the particles moving in the circular paths of same radius and same angular velocity, F c α
m .That means, particles having greater mass or greater density experience more
centrifugal force than those having less mass or less density. This is the principal of
centrifuge.
Applications of centrifuge:
i) Cream is separated from milk using centrifuge. When milk is revolved with high speed in
circular path, low density cream experiences less centrifugal force and remains at upper
surface while high density milk components remain at bottom.
ii) Blood plasma is separated from blood cells by the same principle.
iii) Honey can be separated from honey comb.
iv) Different isotopes of an element are separated from each other by the process of
centrifuge, in their fluid state.
v) In sugar industries, sugar crystals are separated from molasses using centrifuge.

vi) Washing machines dry wet clothes by centrifuge