Mechanics I

Lecture M14
Uniform Circular Motion
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1 Introduction

• We typically use Newton’s Second Law of Motion to determine the motion of a particle given the resultant force that
is acting on the particle.

• However, Newton’s Second Law of Motion can also be used to determine the resultant force acting on a particle given
the observed motion of the particle.

• A common observed motion is uniform circular motion.

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2 Uniform Circular Motion

• Let the position of a particle P at time t (in seconds) with respect to the origin O of a coordinate system be given by

r P/O (t) = [r cos (ωt + φ) m] i + [r sin (ωt + φ) m] j (1)

where r, ω (pronounced “omega”) and φ (pronounced “phi”) are constants.

• The above position vector (1) describes uniform (constant) circular motion of the particle P about O.

• Proof

◦ If we let x = r cos (ωt + φ) and y = r sin (ωt + φ) then

x2 + y 2 = r2 cos2 (ωt + φ) + r2 sin2 (ωt + φ) = r2 cos2 (ωt + φ) + sin2 (ωt + φ) = r2

 

since cos2 (ωt + φ) + sin2 (ωt + φ) = 1.

◦ Therefore, the particle moves in a circle with radius r about O.

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• Proof (continued)

◦ If we differentiate the position vector (1) with respect to time t then, by the chain rule, we have that

d  
v P/O (t) = r P/O (t) = [−rω sin (ωt + φ) m/s] i + [rω cos (ωt + φ) m/s] j. (2)
dt

◦ Hence, q
kv P/O (t) k = [−rω sin (ωt + φ) m/s]2 + [rω cos (ωt + φ) m/s]2
q
[(rω) m/s]2 sin2 (ωt + φ) + cos2 (ωt + φ) (3)
 
=

= (rω) m/s.

◦ Therefore, the particle moves with uniform (constant) speed.

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• The following properties are associated with uniform circular motion. (The details of each proof are left as an exercise.)

(i) The vectors r P/O (t) and v P/O (t) are always perpendicular to each other.

◦ Proof.

◦ Since i · i = j · j = 1 and i · j = j · i = 0 it follows that

r P/O (t) · v P/O (t)

 
= [r cos (ωt + φ) m] i + [r sin (ωt + φ) m] j · [−rω sin (ωt + φ) m/s] i + [rω cos (ωt + φ) m/s] j

= 0.

(ii) The vectors r P/O (t) and a P/O (t) are always parallel to each other (but point in opposite directions).

◦ Proof.
d  h
2
i h
2
i
v P/O (t) = −rω cos (ωt + φ) m/s i + −rω sin (ωt + φ) m/s j = −ω 2 r P/O (t)
2 2

a P/O (t) =
dt
◦ Thus, the particle’s acceleration is always directed inward toward the centre of the circle.

◦ The acceleration that is associated with uniform circular motion is called centripetal acceleration.
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2.1 Centripetal Force

• Given the centripetal acceleration of a particle, it follows from Newton’s Second Law of Motion that the force F that
is acting on the particle is
F (t) = ma P/O (t) = −mω 2 r P/O (t) (4)

where m is the mass of the particle.

• If we form the unit vector r̂ O/P (t) = −r P/O (t) /r that points from the particle P to the centre of the circle at O then
we can express the force that is acting on the particle as

F (t) = mω 2 r r̂ O/P (t) .

(5)

• The force F is called a centripetal force. The magnitude of the centripetal force is kF k = mω 2 r N.

• Note that a force that is acting on a particle will in general change the magnitude and the direction of the particle’s
velocity. However, in the case of uniform circular motion, the particle is moving with a constant speed which means
that the force is not changing the magnitude of the particle’s velocity. Hence, the centripetal force is only changing
the direction of the particle’s velocity.
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• The diagram given below shows the various quantities that are associated with uniform circular motion.

Y Y
v P/O (t)

r P/O (t)

O X O X

Y Y

a P/O (t) F (t)

O X O X
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2.2 The Angular Speed and the Period of Rotation

• The quantity ω is called angular speed and it describes the rate at which a particle is rotating about the origin O of a
coordinate system. Hence, ω is measured in radians per second.

• Since one revolution is equal to 2π radians we have that

ω
ω radians per second = revolutions per second.
2π

• It follows from the formula for the circumference of a circle that the distance travelled by a particle when it makes
one complete revolution about O is 2πr m. Hence, if the particle is moving with uniform speed kv P/O (t) k = ωr m/s,
then it follows from the formula
distance
speed =
time
that the time taken for the particle to make one revolution about O is
2πr 2π
T = = s. (6)
ωr ω

• The quantity T is called the period of the motion.

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2.3 Phase Angle

• The quantity φ is called the phase angle and it refers to the angular position of the particle at the start of the motion
as indicated in the diagram given below.

φ
O X

• The above diagram is used to confirm that at time t = 0 the position of the particle with respect to the origin O of
the coordinate system is
r P/O (0) = [r cos φ m] i + [r sin φ m] j. (7)
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• Example 1.

◦ A particle P moves in a horizontal circular path about the origin O of a coordinate system.

◦ If at time t = 0 the particle was at the point r (0) = (3 m) i + (4 m) j then

r cos φ = 3 m and r sin φ = 4 m

from which it follows that the radius of the circular path is

q
r = (3 m)2 + (4 m)2 = 5 m

and the phase angle is  

4m
φ = arctan = 0, 927 . . . rad.
3m
◦ If the angular speed of the particle is ω = 2 rad/s then the position of the particle at time t (in seconds) can be
calculated from
r P/O (t) = [5 cos (2t + 0, 927 . . .) m] i + [5 sin (2t + 0, 927 . . .) m] j.
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• Example 1 (continued).

◦ The linear speed of the particle is

kv P/O (t) k = ωr m/s = 10 m/s.

◦ The magnitude of the centripetal acceleration of the particle is

ka P/O (t) k = ω 2 r m/s2 = 20 m/s2 .

◦ The time that it takes the particle to complete one revolution about the origin O of the coordinate system is

2π
T = s = π s.
ω