Class 11 Physics - Unit 4: Rotational and Circular Motion (Federal Board)

This comprehensive guide on Rotational and Circular Motion follows the Federal Board of
Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) syllabus for Class 11 Physics. For official
textbooks and additional resources, visit the National Book Foundation (NBF) at
www.nbf.org.pk.

1. Introduction to Rotational and Circular Motion

In physics, motion is categorised into linear and rotational motion. This unit explores the
concepts of rotational motion, where an object rotates about an axis, and circular motion,
where an object moves along a circular path.

Rotational Motion:

● The motion of a body when every point of the object moves in a circle around a
single axis.
● Examples: The rotation of Earth, spinning of a top.

Circular Motion:

● The movement of an object along the circumference of a circle with a fixed radius.
● Examples: A car moving in a roundabout, a satellite orbiting a planet.

2. Angular Quantities in Rotational Motion

In rotational motion, analogous quantities are used to describe rotation, similar to those used
in linear motion.

2.1 Angular Displacement (θ\thetaθ):

● The angle through which a point or a line has been rotated in a specified direction
around a specified axis.
● Measured in radians (rad) or degrees.
● Formula: θ=sr\theta = \frac{s}{r}θ=rs​, where:
○ sss is the arc length.
○ rrr is the radius of the circular path.

Angular position is the angle an object makes with a fixed reference line as it rotates
around a point or axis, usually measured in degrees or radians.

2.2 Angular Velocity (ω\omegaω):

● The rate of change of angular displacement with time.

● Measured in radians per second (rad/s).
 ● Formula: ω=ΔθΔ\omega = \frac{\Delta \theta}{\Delta t}ω=ΔΔθ​

2.3 Angular Acceleration (α\alpha):

● The rate of change of angular velocity with time.

● Measured in radians per second squared (rad/s²).
● Formula: α=ΔωΔ\alpha = \frac{\Delta \omega}{\Delta t}α=ΔΔε​

2.4 Relationship between Linear and Angular Quantities:

● Linear velocity vvv and angular velocity ω\omegaω are related by:
v=rωv = r \omega=rω
Where rrr is the radius of the circular path.
● Linear acceleration aaa and angular acceleration α\alphaα are related by:
a=rαa = r \alpha=rα

3. Kinematics of Rotational Motion

The kinematic equations of rotational motion are similar to the equations of linear motion.
They describe the relationships between angular displacement, angular velocity, angular
acceleration, and time.

Equations of Rotational Motion:

1. ω=ω0+at\omega = \omega_0 + \alpha ω=ω0​+αt

○ Where ω0\omega_0ω0​is the initial angular velocity, and ω\omegaω is the
final angular velocity.
2. θ=ω0t+12αt2\theta = \omega_0 t + \frac{1}{2} \alpha t^2θ=ω0​t+21​αt2
○ Where θ\thetaθ is the angular displacement.
3. ω2=ω02+2αθ\omega^2 = \omega_0^2 + 2 \alpha \theta 2=ω02​+2αθ
○ Relates angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration.

4. Dynamics of Rotational Motion

Rotational motion involves forces that cause a body to rotate around an axis. The concept of
torque and moment of inertia plays a central role in the dynamics of rotational motion.

4.1 Torque (τ\tauτ):

● Torque is the rotational equivalent of force, which causes an object to rotate.

● Formula: τ=rFsin⁡θ\tau = r F \sin \thetaτ=rFsinθ Where:
○ rrr is the distance from the axis of rotation.
○ FFF is the applied force.
○ θ\thetaθ is the angle between the force and the lever arm.
● Unit: Newton-metre (Nm).
4.2 Moment of Inertia (III):

● Moment of inertia is the resistance of a body to change in its rotational motion.

● Formula: I=∑miri2I = \sum m_i r_i^2I=∑mi​ri2​Where mim_imi​is the mass of a particle
and rir_iri​is the distance from the axis of rotation.
● The moment of inertia depends on the distribution of mass relative to the axis of
rotation.

4.3 Newton's Second Law for Rotation:

● The rotational form of Newton's second law is: τ=Iα\tau = I \alpha=Iα Where α\alphaα
is the angular acceleration and τ\tauτ is the torque applied.

5. Rotational Kinetic Energy

Just like an object in linear motion has kinetic energy, an object in rotational motion also
possesses rotational kinetic energy.

Rotational Kinetic Energy Formula:

K.Erot=12Iω2K.E_{\text{rot}} = \frac{1}{2} I \omega^2K.Erot​=21​Iω2

Where:

● III is the moment of inertia.

● ω\omegaω is the angular velocity.

6. Work and Power in Rotational Motion

Work Done in Rotation:

The work done by a torque in rotating a body through an angle θ\thetaθ is given by:

W=τθ = \tau \theta=τθ

Power in Rotational Motion:

Power is the rate at which work is done in rotational motion. It is given by:

P=τωP = \tau \omega=τω

Where ω\omegaω is the angular velocity, and τ\tauτ is the torque.

7. Circular Motion
Circular motion is a special case of rotational motion where an object moves in a circular
path with a constant radius.

7.1 Types of Circular Motion:

1. Uniform Circular Motion: The object moves with constant speed along a circular
path, but its direction continuously changes.
○ Example: A satellite orbiting a planet at constant speed.
2. Non-Uniform Circular Motion: The object’s speed changes as it moves along the
circular path.
○ Example: A car speeding up or slowing down while turning.

7.2 Centripetal Force and Acceleration:

In circular motion, an object is constantly accelerating towards the center of the circle. This
inward acceleration is called centripetal acceleration.

● Centripetal Acceleration (aca_cac​):

ac=v2r=ω2ra_c = \frac{v^2}{r} = \omega^2 rac​=rv2​=ω2r
Where vvv is the linear velocity and rrr is the radius.
● Centripetal Force (FcF_cFc​):
Fc=mac=mv2rF_c = m a_c = \frac{m v^2}{r}Fc​=mac​=rmv2​
Where mmm is the mass of the object.

7.3 Angular Velocity and Period:

The period (T) is the time taken for one complete revolution in circular motion.

● Formula: T=2πωT = \frac{2 \pi}{\omega}T=ω2π​Where ω\omegaω is the angular

velocity.

8. Moment of Inertia for Different Shapes

The moment of inertia depends on the shape and axis of rotation. Below are some important
formulas for different objects:

1. Ring about its central axis:

I=mr2I = m r^2I=mr2
2. Solid disk or cylinder about its central axis:
I=12mr2I = \frac{1}{2} m r^2I=21​mr2
3. Solid sphere about its diameter:
I=25mr2I = \frac{2}{5} m r^2I=52​mr2
4. Hollow sphere about its diameter:
I=23mr2I = \frac{2}{3} m r^2I=32​mr2
9. Applications of Rotational and Circular Motion

9.1 Rotational Motion in Daily Life:

● Flywheels: Used in engines to store rotational energy.

● Gears and Pulleys: Used to transmit rotational motion and control torque.
● Spinning Tops and Gyroscopes: Demonstrate the principles of rotational stability.

9.2 Circular Motion Applications:

● Planetary Motion: Planets orbit the sun in almost circular paths due to gravitational
centripetal force.
● Centrifugal Force: Used in washing machines and industrial centrifuges to separate
materials based on density.

10. Practice Problems

Problem 1: Rotational Kinetic Energy

A solid disk of mass 5 kg and radius 0.2 m is rotating with an angular velocity of 10 rad/s.
Calculate its rotational kinetic energy.

Solution:

● Given: m=5 kg,r=0.2 m,ω=10 rad/sm = 5 \, \text{kg}, r = 0.2 \, \text{m}, \omega = 10 \,

\text{rad/s}m=5kg,r=0.2m,ω=10rad/s.
● Moment of inertia III for a solid disk: I=12mr2=12×5×(0.2)2=0.1 kg⋅m2I = \frac{1}{2}
m r^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 5 \times (0.2)^2 = 0.1 \, \text{kg} \cdot
\text{m}^2I=21​mr2=21​×5×(0.2)2=0.1kg⋅m2
● Rotational kinetic energy: K.Erot=12Iω2=12×0.1×(10)2=5 JK.E_{\text{rot}} =
\frac{1}{2} I \omega^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 0.1 \times (10)^2 = 5 \,
\text{J}K.Erot​=21​Iω2=21​×0.1×(10)2=5J

Problem 2: Centripetal Force

A car of mass 1000 kg is moving at 20 m/s around a circular track of radius 50 m. Calculate
the centripetal force acting on the car.

Solution:

● Given: m=1000 kg,v=20 m/s,r=50 mm = 1000 \, \text{kg}, v = 20 \, \text{m/s}, r = 50 \,

\text{m}m=1000kg,v=20m/s,r=50m.
● Centripetal force: Fc=mv2r=1000×(20)250=8000 NF_c = \frac{m v^2}{r} = \frac{1000
\times (20)^2}{50} = 8000 \, \text{N}Fc​=rmv2​=501000×(20)2​=8000N

11. Summary
 ● Rotational motion describes objects rotating about an axis, with angular
displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
● Torque causes rotational motion, while moment of inertia resists it.
● Circular motion involves an object moving along a circular path with centripetal
force directed towards the center.
● The equations of motion for rotational motion parallel those for linear motion and help
solve problems involving rotation.

The direction is determined using the right-hand rule: if you curl the fingers of your right
hand in the direction of rotation, your thumb points in the direction of the angular
displacement vector.

Average Velocity:

● Definition: Average velocity is the total displacement (change in position) divided by

the total time taken. It gives the overall rate at which an object changes its position
over a certain time period.
● Formula: Average Velocity=Total DisplacementTotal Time\text{Average Velocity} =
\frac{\text{Total Displacement}}{\text{Total Time}}Average Velocity=Total TimeTotal
Displacement​
● Example: If a car travels 100 km north in 2 hours, its average velocity is
100 km2 hours=50 km/h\frac{100 \, \text{km}}{2 \, \text{hours}} = 50 \,
\text{km/h}2hours100km​=50km/h north.

Instantaneous Velocity:

● Definition: Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of an object at a specific moment in

time. It gives the rate of change of displacement at a particular instant, often found by
taking the derivative of position with respect to time.
● Formula: Instantaneous Velocity=dDisplacementdTime=dxdt\text{Instantaneous
Velocity} = \frac{d\text{Displacement}}{d\text{Time}} = \frac{dx}{dt}Instantaneous
Velocity=dTimedDisplacement​=dtdx​
● Example: If you're driving and look at the speedometer at a specific moment, the
speed it shows is the instantaneous velocity at that instant.

In short:

● Average velocity is over a time interval.

● Instantaneous velocity is at a specific point in time.

2.4 Relationship Between Linear and Angular Kinematics Quantities

Linear and angular kinematics are two ways to describe the motion of objects. While linear
kinematics focuses on objects moving in a straight line, angular kinematics deals with
objects rotating around a fixed axis. These two types of motion are connected, especially in
rotational systems like wheels or gears, where the linear movement of a point on the object
relates to its angular rotation.

Here’s how these quantities relate:

1. Linear Displacement (s) and Angular Displacement (θ):

● Linear displacement (s) is the straight-line distance an object travels.

● Angular displacement (θ) is the angle through which an object rotates.
Relationship:
s=rθs = r \thetas=rθ
where:
○ sss is the linear displacement,
○ rrr is the radius of the circular path,
○ θ\thetaθ is the angular displacement (in radians).

2. Linear Velocity (v) and Angular Velocity (ω):

● Linear velocity (v) is the rate at which an object moves along a straight path.
● Angular velocity (ω) is the rate at which an object rotates.
Relationship:
v=rωv = r \omegav=rω
where:
○ vvv is the linear velocity,
○ rrr is the radius,
○ ω\omegaω is the angular velocity (in radians per second).

3. Linear Acceleration (a) and Angular Acceleration (α):

● Linear acceleration (a) is the rate of change of linear velocity.

● Angular acceleration (α) is the rate of change of angular velocity.
Relationship:
a=rαa = r \alphaa=rα
where:
○ aaa is the linear acceleration,
○ rrr is the radius,
○ α\alphaα is the angular acceleration (in radians per second squared).

Summary of Relationships:

● Linear displacement (sss) is proportional to angular displacement (θ\thetaθ).

● Linear velocity (vvv) is proportional to angular velocity (ω\omegaω).
● Linear acceleration (aaa) is proportional to angular acceleration (α\alphaα).

In each case, the proportionality constant is the radius rrr of the circular path. These
relationships are fundamental in understanding how rotational motion translates into linear
motion, especially in systems like wheels, gears, and other rotating objects.