Circular motion

Circular motion is described as a movement of an object while rotating along a circular path.
Circular motion can be either uniform or non-uniform. During uniform circular motion, the
angular rate of rotation and speed will be constant, while during non-uniform motion the rate
of rotation keeps changing. A free-body diagram for an object in circular motion can be
represented by drawing arrows on the object that represent the magnitude and direction of
each force acting on the object. For example:

Tangential velocity

Tangential velocity is the linear speed of any object moving along a circular path. A point on
the outside edge of a turntable moves a greater distance in one complete rotation than a
point near to the centre. When a body moves in a circular path at a distance r from the
centre, the body’s velocity is directed tangentially at any instant. This is known as tangential
velocity. In other words, the linear velocity is its tangential velocity at any instant.

Tangential velocity formula:

Vr is the tangential velocity. It is measured in metres per second.

r is the radius of the circular path. It is measured in metres(m).
ω is the angular velocity( ) It is measured in radian per second (rad/s).

This diagram shows how the tangential velocity works:

Angular velocity

In simple words, angular velocity is the time rate at which an object rotates or revolves about
an axis. Angular velocity is represented by the Greek letter omega (ω, sometimes Ω). It is
measured in angle per unit time; hence, the SI unit of angular velocity is radians per second.

Angular velocity formula:

ω is the angular velocity and is measured in radians per second.

T is the change in time and is measured in seconds.

Circular acceleration

The acceleration is directed radially toward the centre of the circle. The centripetal
acceleration (ac) has a magnitude equal to the square of the body's speed v along the curve
divided by the distance r from the centre of the circle to the moving body

Circular acceleration formula:

2
ac=𝑣 /𝑟
2
ac is the circular acceleration and is measured in m/𝑠
v is the tangential velocity and is measured in metres per second.
r is the radius and is measured in metres.

Centripetal and centrifugal forces

Centripetal force

The centripetal force is the net force acting on the object. It always points toward the centre
of motion. It is measured in Newtons (N).

Centripetal force formula:

Fc is the centripetal force. It is measured in Newtons(N).

m is the mass of the object. It is measured in kilograms(kg).
v is the tangential velocity. It is measured in metres per second(m/s)
r is the radius. It is measured in metres(m).

Centrifugal force

Centrifugal force is a pseudo force in a circular motion which acts along the radius and is
directed away from the centre of the circle. The force does not exist when measurements
are made in an inertial frame of reference. It only comes into play when changing our
reference frame from a ground/inertial to a rotating reference frame. The centrifugal force
formula is the same as the centripetal force formula.

Differences between centripetal and centrifugal force

Centripetal force is the component of force Centrifugal force is a pseudo force in a

acting on an object in curvilinear motion circular motion which acts along the radius
which is directed towards the axis of and is directed away from the centre of the
rotation or centre of curvature. circle.

It is observed from an inertial frame of It is observed from a non-inertial frame of

reference. reference.

If a car is travelling through a curve on a
circular horizontal road, the centripetal force
provided by the force of friction between the
tyres of the vehicle and the road surface
allows the car to negotiate the turn.
When a car in motion takes a sudden turn
towards the left, passengers in a car
experience an outward push. This is due to
the centrifugal force acting on passengers.

Examples of circular motion

Circular motion in planets:

The Earth is constantly moving forward but it is also attracted by the Sun’s gravitational pull.
This causes the Earth to move in circular motion. In this case the centripetal force would be
the sun’s gravity. This motion is seen in all planets that revolve around a star.

Motion of electrons around the nucleus of an atom

Electrons are constantly moving forward but they’re attracted electrically to the nucleus. This
attraction would be the centripetal force. As the electrons move while also being attracted by
a centripetal force this causes them to move in circular motion.