Circular motion

By the end of the topic students should be able to:

➢Express angular displacement in radians
➢ Solve problems using the concept of angular velocity
➢Describe motion along a circular path as due to a perpendicular force
which causes a centripetal acceleration
➢ Use equations for centripetal acceleration and for centripetal force
Circular motion – motion which occurs when bodies rotate in
circular path.
Circular motion

Uniform Non - Uniform

(Horizontal plane) (Vertical plane)
Examples:
Examples:
• a ball is swung in horizontal circle.
• a bucket of water is swung in
• a car /motorcycle turning a corner.
vertical circle.
• cone pendulum.
•roller coaster cars
• merry go round.
Uniform Circular Motion
Uniform circular motion is motion along a circular path in which there is
no change in speed, only a change in direction.
v Constant velocity tangent to path.
Fc
Constant force toward center.

Question: Is there an outward force on the ball?

Uniform Circular Motion (Cont.)
The question of an outward force can be resolved by asking what
happens when the string breaks!

• Ball moves tangent to path, NOT

v outward as might be expected.
• When central force is removed,
ball continues in straight line.
• Centripetal force is needed to
change direction
Examples of Centripetal Force
You are sitting on the seat next to the outside door. What is the
direction of the resultant force on you as you turn? Is it away
from center or toward center of the turn?

Car going around a curve.

Fc

Force ON you is toward the center.

Car Example Continued

Reaction The centripetal force is

F’ exerted BY the door ON
Fc you. (Centrally)

There is an outward force, but it does not act ON you. It is the reaction
force exerted BY you ON the door. It affects only the door.
Another Example

R
Disappearing platform at fair.
Fc
What exerts the centripetal force in this example and on what does it act?

The centripetal force is exerted BY the wall ON the man. A reaction

force is exerted by the man on the wall, but that does not determine the
motion of the man.
Spin Cycle on a Washer
How is the water removed from clothes
during the spin cycle of a washer?

Think carefully before answering . . . Does the centripetal force throw

water off the clothes?
NO. Actually, it is the LACK of a force that allows the water to leave the
clothes through holes in the circular wall of the rotating washer.
LINEAR VELOCITY can be written in terms of period, 𝑇 and
frequency, 𝑓 :
2𝜋𝑟
𝑣= = 2𝜋𝑟𝑓
𝑇

ANGULAR VELOCITY can be written in terms of period, 𝑇 and

frequency, 𝑓 :

2𝜋
𝜔= = 2𝜋𝑓
𝑇
Centripetal Force, 𝑭𝒄
𝐹𝑐 is defined as the force required to keep an object of mass, m moving
at a speed 𝑣 on a circular path of radius, 𝑟.
Examples : As the moon orbits the Earth, the force of
gravity acting upon the moon provides the
centripetal force required for circular
motion.
FIGURE 6.2.2
As a car makes a turn, the force of friction
acting upon the turned wheels of the car
provides the centripetal force required for
circular motion.
FIGURE 6.2.3
Centripetal Force, Fc
Magnitude of Fc :
since v = r ω , thus

𝑚𝑟𝜔𝑟𝜔
𝐹𝑐 = = 𝑚𝑟𝜔2
𝑟
Fc is perpendicular to the direction v,
so it does no work on the object.
FIGURE 6.2.4
Centripetal Acceleration
Consider ball moving at constant speed v in a horizontal circle of radius
𝑅 at end of string tied to peg on center of table. (Assume zero friction.)

Fc
n
v W
R Force Fc and
acceleration a toward
c

center. W = n
Deriving Central Acceleration

Consider initial velocity at A and final velocity at B:

vf B vf
-vo Dv
s v
vo o
R R
A
Deriving Acceleration (Cont.)
vf
Dv
Definition: ac = -vo Dv
t s v
o
Similar Dv s R
=
Triangles v R
mass m
Dv vs vv
ac = = =
t Rt R
Centripetal v2 mv 2
ac = ; Fc = mac =
acceleration: R R
Car Negotiating a Flat Turn

v
Fc

R
What is the direction of the force
ON the car?
Ans. Toward Center
This central force is exerted BY the road ON
the car.
Car Negotiating a Flat Turn

v
Fc

R
Is there also an outward force
acting ON the car?

Ans. No, but the car does exert a outward reaction force ON the road.
Car Negotiating a Flat Turn
The centripetal force Fc is that of
static friction fs:
Fc R n Fc = fs
m fs
v R

mg
The central force FC and the friction force fs are not two different forces
that are equal. There is just one force on the car. The nature of this
central force is static friction.
Finding the maximum speed for negotiating a turn without slipping.

n Fc = fs
fs
R m Fc R
v
mg
The car is on the verge of slipping when FC is equal to the maximum
force of static friction fs.
mv2
Fc = fs Fc = fs = msmg
R
Maximum speed without slipping (Cont.)

Fc = fs
n
fs R mv2
= msmg
R
mg
v = msgR

Fc R
m Velocity v is maximum speed for
v no slipping.
Optimum Banking Angle

By banking a curve at the optimum

Fc angle, the normal force n can provide the
m R
necessary centripetal force without the
v need for a friction force.

fs fs = 0
n n n
q
fs q
w q w w
slow speed fast speed optimum
Free-body Diagram

Acceleration a is toward the center. Set

x n x axis along the direction of ac , i. e.,
horizontal (left to right).
mg q

n cos q n
q
n q + ac

n sin q
mg q mg
Optimum Banking Angle (Cont.)

n cos q n
n q

mg q
n sin q
mg

Apply Newton’s 2nd Law

SFx = mac n sin q = mv2
R

to x and y axes.
SFy = 0 n cos q = mg
Optimum Banking Angle (Cont.)
n cos q
n q n

mg q
n sin q
mg

mv2
2
mv
n sin q = v 2
R tan q = R =
mg gR
n cos q = mg
1
Optimum Banking Angle (Cont.)

n cos q
n q n

mg q
n sin q
mg

Optimum Banking
2
v
Angle q tan q =
gR
Example 5: A car negotiates a turn of radius 80 m. What is the optimum
banking angle for this curve if the speed is to be equal to 12 m/s?

n v2 (12 m/s)2
tan q = =
gR (9.8 m/s2)(80 m)
mg q
tan q = 0.184 q = 10.40
n cos q n
q How might you find the centripetal
force on the car, knowing its mass?
n sin q mv 2

mg
FC =
R
Conical Pendulum
A conical pendulum moving in uniform circular motion with speed v:

T sin θ supplies
centripetal force. r = L sin θ

Component – r
x:

FIGURE 6.2.7

Component – y :
… (1)
mv 2 SFy = 0
Tsin q =
r
Tcos q = mg … (2)
Conical Pendulum
r = L sin θ
mv 2 … (1)
Tsin q =
r

Tcos q = mg … (2)

mv 2 r
( )
(1) Tsin q r
: =
(2) Tcos q mg
FIGURE 6.2.8

v2
tan q =
rg

 v = r g tan q = Lg sin q tan q

Example A 2-kg mass swings in a horizontal circle at the end of a cord of
length 10 m. What is the constant speed of the mass if the rope makes an
angle of 300 with the vertical?

q = 300
1. Draw & label sketch.
2. Recall formula for pendulum.
L q
T h 2
v
tan q = Find: v=?
R gR

3. To use this formula, we need to find R = ?

R = L sin 300 = (10 m)(0.5) R=5m
Example (Cont.): Find v for 𝜃 = 300
4. Use given info to find the velocity at
300. q = 300
R=5m
R = 5 m g = 9.8 m/s2 L q
h
Solve for v = ? v 2 T
tan q = R
gR

v = gR tan q
2
v = gR tan q

v = (9.8 m/s )(5 m) tan 30

2 0
v = 5.32 m/s
Example cont.: Now find the tension T in the cord if m = 2 kg,
𝜃 = 300, and L = 10 m.

T cos q
T
L q q
h
T T sin q
2 kg
R mg

SFy = 0: T cos q - mg = 0; T cos q = mg

(2 kg)(9.8 m/s2)
T= = T = 22.6 N
mg
cos q
cos 300
Example cont.: Find the centripetal force Fc for the previous
example.

q = 300 T cos q
T
L q q
h
T Fc T sin q
2 kg
R mg

m = 2 kg; v = 5.32 m/s; R = 5 m; T = 22.6 N

mv2
Fc = or Fc = T sin 300 Fc = 11.3 N
R
CIRCULAR MOTION IN VERTICAL PLANE (NON-UNIFORM
CIRCULAR MOTION)
Case 1 : A ball is attached to a string & moves in a vertical circle.

FIGURE 6.2.9 FIGURE 6.2.10

At the top of the circle ( point A ) : both T At the bottom of the circle ( point B ) :T & mg
& mg are directed downwards point in opposite direction
 Fnet = mac  Fnet = mac
mv2 mv2
T + mg = T − mg =
r r
mv 2 mv 2
T= − mg (T is minimum) T= + mg (T is maximum)
r r
Circular motion in vertical plane (non-uniform circular motion)

Circular motion is possible as long as the cord remain taut, thus there is a
critical (minimum) speed to be maintained.

𝑚𝑣 2
𝑇 + 𝑚𝑔 =
𝑟
If the rope is sagging, T = 0 , thus :
𝑚𝑣 2
𝑚𝑔 =
T=0
𝑟
𝑣 𝑟𝑔min
Exercise
(a) A 1.2 kg rock is tied to the end of a 90 cm length of string. The rock is
then is whirled in a vertical circle at a constant speed of 8 m/s. What are
the tensions in the string at the top and bottom of the circle ?
(b) A 0.15 kg ball attached to a string which is
1.2 m in length moves in a horizontal circle.
The string makes an angle of 30° with the r = L sin 30˚

vertical. Find the tension in the string &

r
the speed of the ball.
(c) A car travels around a flat curve of radius
r = 50m. The coefficient of the static friction between the tires & the road
is μs = 0.75. Calculate the maximum speed at which the car can travel
without skidding.