Circular Motion

What is a circular motion ?

• Motion along a circular path / arc.

Uniform Circular Motion

• Circular motion with constant speed.
Non-uniform Circular Motion
• Circular motion with changing speed
Circular Motion … Examples

– Earth moving around the Sun

– Electron moving around a proton in a
hydrogen atom.
– Moving car in a roundabout.
– Simple pendulum.
 Circular Motion … Periodic Motion

Periodic Motion :
Motion that repeat itself after a fixed time.

Period : Time of one “cycle”.

distance = rate  time

distance 2r
time = 
rate v
2r
T=
v
Is the ball accelerating ?
 When the string breaks . . .
The string breaks
at this position

The object then moves

along a straight line.

Without tension the object

moves in a straight line.
Tension changes the
direction of the object.
Circular Motion … Accelerating Motion

• Object moves along a circular path.

• The direction of velocity is changing.
• Changing velocity implies that the object accelerates.
 Centripetal Acceleration

Magnitude :

2
v
a  r
2

r
Direction : Towards the centre

Q: Is the acceleration a constant?

Centripetal Acceleration . . . Proof

s
v  v

s vt
  
r r
r
t 
v
dv v v 2
a  
dt t r
Centripetal Acceleration . . . Proof

s

180  
φ
2
180  
lim φ  lim  90
Δθ 0 Δθ 0 2


 Centripetal Force
• When an object moves in a circle, it must accelerates.
• The acceleration directs toward the centre of the circle.
• According to Newton’s 2nd law, there has to be a force
to produce such acceleration
• This force must point toward the centre of the circle
(Centripetal Force)

F  ma
2
mv
F Centripetal Force
r
Origin of Centripetal Force
Circular Motion Centripetal Force

Satellite in orbit around Earth Gravitational force of the Earth

Car moving around a flat-curve Static frictional force

Static frictional force and normal

Car moving around a banked-exit
force
Toy-plane tied to a rope and
Tension in the rope
moving in a circle
Astronaut in a rotating space
Normal force by the surface/floor
station

Rider at a roller coaster weight and/or normal force