Uniform Circular Motion

(UCM) and Gravitation

 Suppose you are making a turn
but keeping the same speed – what
is your acceleration?

Recall: What is the definition of acceleration?

What direction is the acceleration What factors determine the magnitude

pointing? (strength) of the acceleration?
 Finding acceleration conceptually
using Newton’s 2nd Law

Example: A wind-up car is attached by a string to a nail on a table

What direction is the acceleration What factors determine the magnitude

pointing? (strength) of the acceleration?
 Finding a formula for
acceleration using vectors

Recall: What is the definition of acceleration?

What direction is the acceleration What factors determine the magnitude

pointing? (strength) of the acceleration?
 Centripetal acceleration causes
UCM. What about centrifugal
acceleration?

CENTRIPETAL CENTRIFUGAL

• Means “center-seeking” • Means “center-fleeing”

• Is caused by a net force that is directed • Is not a real force – does not even
towards the center of the circular exist!
motion • Seems to appear due to Newton’s 1st
• Different kinds of forces can play the law
role of the “centripetal force” • Linear example: a “force” pulls
• Normal force your body forward when you step
• Friction on the brakes of your car
• Tension • UCM example: a “force” pulls you
• Gravity to the right when you steer your
car to the left
Formulas for UCM

Newton’s 2nd Law:

Constant speed as a function of radius and time of travel (aka period):

Period (T) and Frequency (f)

How to solve a UCM
problem

1.Draw a free-body diagram

2.Write Newton’s second law
3.Find the sum of all the radial forces (pointing
toward center of circle) using your FBD. This is
your Fnet
4.Remember that your acceleration is equal to
v2/r, so Fnet = mv2/r
Examples: Horizontal
circle

A toy car is tied to a string that is secured to a nail on a tabletop

Examples: Horizontal
circle

Amusement park “Gravitron”

Examples: Horizontal
circle

A car making a turn on a regular intersection

Examples: Horizontal
circle

A car making a turn on a banked curve (e.g. freeway on- or off-ramp)

Examples: Vertical circle

Roller Coaster loop-the-loop (find formula for top and bottom)

Examples: Vertical circle

Swinging a bucket of water – what is the slowest speed so that water doesn’t fall out
of bucket?
Examples: Vertical circle

Tarzan swinging on a vine – what is the fastest speed so that the vine doesn’t break?
Examples: Vertical circle

Driving over a hill – what is the fastest speed possible to not go flying?
Newton’s Universal Law of
Gravitation

• Formula only explains mathematical

relationships between variables, doesn’t
explain HOW gravity works
• Gravity only attracts, doesn’t repel
• G = 6.754×10−11 m3⋅kg−1⋅s−2
Why is g = 9.8 m/s2?
Why are we “weightless”
in space?

• True definition of weight:

• “Weightless” in space means:
If satellites are in free-fall, why
don’t they crash into the Earth?

• Answer: UCM!
• How fast do you need to be moving in order
to stay in orbit?
Kepler’s Laws of
Planetary Motion

1. All planets have an elliptical orbit with the

sun located at one of the foci
2. A line segment connecting the sun and a
planet sweeps out equal areas in equal
amounts of time
3. The square of the orbital period is
proportional to the cube of the average
orbital distance