GCE ADVANCED LEVEL

PURE MATHEMATICS WITH MECHANICS

MATHEMATICS : CIRCULAR MOTION
PRESENTATION

KENG ELSON
- This document is comprised mainly of solved examples so it is
advisable to study this document alongside your pure mathematics with
mechanics textbook or lesson notes provided by the teacher in class

- After studying this document, try as much as possible to answer the

past GCE questions on this topic

HERE WE BEGIN
 EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2
A body of mass 5𝑘𝑔 moves with a constant A particle of mass 3𝑘𝑔 describes a circle of
angular speed of 3𝜋rad𝑠 −1 around a horizontal radius 3𝑚 on a rough table with constant
circle of radius 2𝑚. speed of 5𝑚𝑠 −1 .
Find the magnitude of the force that keeps the Find the coefficient of friction between the
body in that circle particle and the table
(take 𝑔 = 10𝑚𝑠 −2 )
Solution
Solution
𝑀 = 5𝑘𝑔
𝜔 = 3𝜋𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑠 −1 𝑚𝑣 2
𝜔 𝐹𝑐 = 𝐹𝑟 ⇒ = 𝜇𝑅
𝑟 = 2𝑚 𝑟 𝑅
𝑚𝑣 2 𝑚𝑣 2
𝐹𝑐 = 𝑀𝑎𝑐 = 𝑀𝜔2 𝑟 𝑟
⇒𝜇= = 𝜇𝑅
⇒ 𝐹𝑐 = 5 3𝜋 2 2 𝑁 𝑅𝑔𝑟 𝑚𝑔𝑟
⇒ 𝐹𝑐 = 90𝜋 2 𝑁 𝑅 = 3𝑔,𝑣 = 5, 𝑟 = 3
52 𝑚2 𝑠 −2
⇒𝜇= 3𝑔
10𝑚𝑠 −2 × 3𝑚
5
𝜇=
6
CONICAL PENDULUM At equilibrium
෍ 𝐹𝑋 = 0 ⇒ 𝐹𝐶 = 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝜃

𝑇 ෍ 𝐹𝑌 = 0 ⇒ 𝑚𝑔 = 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝑚𝑣 2
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 =
𝑟
⇒ 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 𝑚𝑔
𝐹𝐶
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑣2 𝑣 2
𝑟 ⇒ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = ⇒ 𝜃 = tan−1
𝑟𝑔 𝑟𝑔

𝑚𝑔
 𝐵
Solution EXAMPLE 1
A light inextensible string of length 1𝑚 is fixed
𝜃 at one point B and carries a particle of mass
𝑇 10𝑘𝑔 at the other end A. It describes a circle of
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
radius 80𝑐𝑚 at the height of h𝑚 below B.
Calculate the angle the string makes with the
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝐹𝐶 vertical
𝑂
𝐴 𝑟 Find also the tension in the string and the
centripetal force.
10𝑔
b)
𝑟 = 0.8𝑚 = 𝑂𝐴
At equilibrium:
𝐴𝐵 = 1𝑚
10𝑔
From Pythagoras’ theorem: 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 10𝑔 ⇒ 𝑇 =
𝐴𝐵 2 = 𝑂𝐵2 + 𝑂𝐴2 ⇒ 𝑂𝐵 = 0.36𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
4 3 10𝑔 50
a) tan 𝜃 = ⇒ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = ⇒ 𝑇 = = 𝑔𝑁
3 5 3 3
𝑂𝐴 4 4
tan𝜃 = = ⇒ 𝜃 = tan −1 5
𝑂𝐵 3 3
 EXAMPLE 2
𝑄
Solution An elastic string PQ of natural length 𝑙 and
𝜃
modulus of elasticity 2𝑀𝑔 has one end Q, fixed.
𝑇
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 The other end P has a particle of mass 𝑀𝑘𝑔
attached to it and performs motion in a
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝐹𝐶 horizontal circle with angular velocity
𝑂
𝑃 𝑟 3𝑔
rad𝑠 −1 . Find the extension in the string and
4𝑙
Natural length = 𝑙 𝑀𝑔 the cosine of the angle between the string and the
𝜆 = 2𝑀𝑔 vertical
3𝑔 3𝑔 At equilibrium:
𝜔= ⇒ 𝜔2 = 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 = 𝑀𝜔 𝑟 2 𝜔 2𝑟
4𝑙 4𝑙 ቊ ⇒ tan 𝜃 = …… 1
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 = 𝑀𝑔 𝑔
Let the extension be 𝑒 and tension be T
𝜆𝑒 2𝑀𝑔𝑒 2𝑀𝑔𝑒 3𝑔
⇒𝑇= = ⇒ sin 𝜃 = 𝑀 𝑙 + 𝑒 sin 𝜃
𝑙 𝑙 𝑙 4𝑙 2𝑀𝑔 3𝑙 6𝑀𝑔
𝑃𝑂 𝑟 3 3𝑙 𝑇 = 𝑙 5
=
5
𝑁
sin 𝜃 = = ⇒𝑟 ⇒ 2𝑒 = 𝑙 + 𝑒 ⇒ 𝑒 =
𝑃𝑄 𝑙 + 𝑒 4 5 ⇒ cos 𝜃 = 𝑀𝑔 = 𝑀𝑔 = 5
𝑇 6𝑀𝑔 6
= 𝑙 + 𝑒 sin 𝜃 5
 TEST YOUR SELVE

A particle describes motion in a horizontal circle around the

inside of a smooth spherical bowl of radius 0.10𝑚 which is fixed
5
with its horizontal. If the reaction of the bowl is times the
2
particles weight, what speed does the particle move with.
Find the time taken to go round the circle one time
 BRAIN TEASER
Two particles of masses 3𝑚 and 5𝑚 are attached to the ends of a light
inextensible string of length 𝑥 which passes through a smooth fixed ring
at O.

The lighter particle describes a horizontal circle about the heavier

particle which remains at rest as the center.
3𝑥
Prove that the heavier particle is at a depth of below O and that the
8
3𝑥
time for a complete revolution is 𝜋
2𝑔

MAKE SURE YOU TRY THIS PROBLEM BEFORE LOOKING AT THE SOLUTION
 𝑂
SOLUTION
𝜃 At equilibrium:
𝑇 𝑇
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑇 − 5𝑚𝑔 = 0 ⇒ 𝑇 = 5𝑚𝑔
3𝑚𝑔 3𝑚𝑔
𝐹𝐶 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 3𝑚𝑔 ⇒ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = =
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑄 𝑇 5𝑚𝑔
𝑃 𝑟
3
⇒ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 =
3𝑚𝑔 5𝑚𝑔 5
2
𝑂𝑄 3 3
⇒ = sin 𝜃 = 1− cos 2 𝜃 = 1−
𝑂𝑃 5 5
𝑂𝑄 + 𝑂𝑃 = 𝑥 4
𝑂𝑄 3 𝑂𝑄 3 3𝑥 ⇒ sin 𝜃 =
5
= ⇒ = ⇒ 𝑂𝑄 = 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 3𝑚𝜔2 𝑟 … … 1
𝑂𝑄 + 𝑂𝑃 3 + 5 𝑥 8 8
𝑂𝑄 3
3𝑥 5𝑥 But cos 𝜃 = =
⇒ 𝑂𝑃 = 𝑥 − = 𝑂𝑃 5
8 8
2 2
5𝑥 3𝑥 𝑥
⇒ 𝑃𝑄 = − ⇒ 𝑃𝑄 =
8 8 2
 𝑂
SOLUTION
𝜃 From equation 01:
𝑇 𝑇 4
𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
2
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 5𝑚𝑔 5
𝜔 = = 𝑥
𝐹𝐶
3𝑚𝑟 3𝑚
𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 2
𝑟 𝑄
𝑃
2𝑔
⇒𝜔=2
3𝑚𝑔 5𝑚𝑔 3𝑥
The time taken for a complete revolution
is the period 𝑇
FOR MORE INFORMATION 2𝜋 2𝜋
𝑇= =
𝜔 2𝑔
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𝑇=𝜋
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