PHYS 0100

DR XSITAAZ CHADEE
MS. NALINI DOOKIE
CIRCULAR
MOTION
Learning outcomes
1. Define angular displacement in radians
2. Define angular velocity
3. Use the concept of angular velocity to solve
problems involving circular motion
4. Apply the equation 𝑣 = 𝑟𝜔 to solve problems
involving circular motion
5. Use equations for centripetal acceleration
6. Use equations for centripetal force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzcmUiD39VI
Circular Motion
Angular displacement = angle swept out 𝜃.
Angular displacement is measured in radians rather
than in degrees.
Distance moved along a circle: 𝑠=𝑟𝜃.
s –arc length, r is the radius of the circle.
2𝜋 radians = 360 degrees
Centripetal Acceleration
An object moving in a circle at a constant radius
and constant speed still experiences a changing
velocity.
The velocity is changing because the direction of
the velocity vector is constantly changing.
Therefore the object is accelerating and the
acceleration is referred to as a centripetal
acceleration as it is directed towards the center of
the circle.
Centripetal Acceleration

𝑣2
𝑎=
𝑟

v –linear velocity (m/s)

r –radius (m).
Angular speed
𝑣
𝜔=
𝑟

v –linear velocity (m/s)

r –radius (m)
Measured in rad/s.

𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒 2𝜋

𝜔= =
𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 𝑇
= 𝑚𝑣𝜔 = 𝑚𝜔2 𝑟
Question 1 (Homework)
A) Define the radian.
B) Convert the following to radians.
◦ 30 degrees
◦ 140 degrees
C) Convert the following to degrees
◦ 3.14 radians
◦ 1.57 radians
Question
2. A swimmer moves in a circular path of radius 50
m at 2 revolutions per hour.
What is the angular speed ω?
What is the period T?
What is the speed v of the swimmer?
What is the force towards the center?
If the mass of the swimmer is 80 kg, what is
the centripetal force F on the swimmer?
GRAVITATION
Learning objectives
1. Understand the concept of a gravitational field
2. Define gravitational field strength
3. State and use Newton’s Law of universal gravitation
4. Solve problems involving gravitational field strengths at the
Earth’s surface or above
5. State the conditions necessary for geostationary orbit about
the Earth
6. Discuss the motion of geostationary satellites and their
applications
7. Solve problems near Earth and with geostationary satellites
8. Solve problems involving circular orbits
Gravitational field
A gravitational field exists around bodies that have mass.

A gravitational field is defined as a region in which a

gravitational force acts.

It is a region around a body where an object of some

significant mass experiences a force when placed in the
field.
The direction of the gravitational field is the direction a test
mass would move if placed anywhere in the field.
Gravitational field lines around
the Earth
If we place an object inside
the gravitational field of the
Earth, it experiences a force
directed towards the center
of the Earth.

The gravitational field is

represented using field lines.
Gravitational field lines around
the Earth
The spacing of the field lines
gives an idea of the strength of
the field.

The closer the field lines, the

stronger the field.

The more spaced out the field

lines, the weaker the field.

Equally spaced lines represent

a uniform field.
Gravitational field lines around
the Earth
The Earth’s gravitational field
is:

1. Radial
2. Equally spread around the
Earth.
Gravitational Field on the
surface of the Earth
On the surface of the earth
the gravitational field is
approximately uniform.

As such we assume the

acceleration to due gravity is
a constant.
𝑎𝑔 = −9.81 𝑚/𝑠 2
Gravitational field strength
Gravitational field strength is the force per unit mass at that
point in the field.
𝐹
𝑔=
𝑚

g – gravitational field strength (N/kg)

F – force (N)
m – mass (kg)
Gravitational field strength is a vector quantity.
Gravitational Field on the
surface of the Earth
The gravitational force on a
mass is called its weight, W.

The equation for the

gravitational field strength, g:
𝑊
𝑔=
𝑚
All bodies that have mass exert a force on each
other.
The Earth exerts an attractive force on the Moon.
The Moon exerts an equal and opposite force on
the Earth according to Newton's third law. This
force is what keeps the Moon in orbit around the
Earth.
Newton’s Law of Gravitation
Newton’s Law of Gravitation states that the force of
attraction between any two bodies is directly
proportional to the product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the square of the distances
between them.
 Newton’s Law of Gravitation
Consider two bodies having masses of m1 andm2
respectively and separated by a distance r .
The magnitude of the force is: 𝐺𝑚1 𝑚2
𝐹=−
𝑟2
G, the constant of proportiona-
lity is called the gravitation G – Gravitational constant
constant and is experimentally (6.67 x 10-11 𝑚3 𝑘𝑔−1 𝑠 −2 )
determined. 𝑚1 – mass of one body
The minus sign in the equation 𝑚2 – mass of the other body
indicates that the force is
attractive. r – distance between the
centers of mass of the two
bodies
Gravitational Field Strength

The force exerted on m is:

𝑮𝑴𝒎
𝑭=−
𝑹𝟐
 Gravitational Field Strength for
an object at the Earth’s surface
On the Earth's surface the gravitational field strength is
g = 9 .81 N kg-1
So for an object at the Earth’s surface where the field strength is
𝐺𝑀𝑚
F = mg and knowing Newton’s law of gravitation 𝐹 = − 2 , where
𝑟
we can equate these two:
𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚
𝑚𝑔 = −
𝑅𝐸2
where 𝑅𝐸 is the radius of the Earth and 𝑀𝐸 is the mass of the earth.
So,
𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑔=− 2
𝑅𝐸
Radial Fields
𝑮𝑴
𝒈=−
𝑹𝟐

1
𝑔∝
𝑅2
Planetary Motion
When considering planetary
motion, the gravitational
force is equal to the
centripetal force because the
force acts perpendicular to
the direction of motion.

The earth rotates around

the sun. The centripetal
force in this circular motion
is provided by the
gravitational force.
𝐹𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝐹𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝑚𝑣 2 𝐺𝑀𝑚
=
𝑟 𝑟2

𝐺𝑀
𝑣2 =
𝑟

2𝜋𝑟 2 𝐺𝑀
Orbital Period =
𝑇 𝑟

4𝜋2 𝑟 3
𝑇=
𝐺𝑀
 Gravitational potential energy
(U)
PE = mgh is valid only near the earth’s surface.
For objects high above the earth’s surface, an alternate
expression is needed
𝐺𝑀𝑚
𝑈=−
𝑟

Zero reference level is infinitely far from the earth,

so potential energy is everywhere negative!
Energy conservation
1 𝐺𝑀𝑚
E = KE + U = 𝑚𝑣 2 −
2 𝑟
We define the gravitational potential 𝜙 at a point as the
work done in moving unit mass from infinity to that point:
𝑈 𝐺𝑀
𝜙= = −
𝑚 𝑟
Equipotentials
An equipotential line is a line drawn through the same gravitational
potential.
Equipotentials are perpendicular to the field lines
Geostationary Orbit
A geostationary satellite is one that always appears in the
same place in the sky, no matter what the time of day.
The conditions for this to occur are:
1. the satellite must have an orbital period of exactly 24
hours
2. the satellite must have a circular orbit above the equator
3. the satellite must be orbiting in the same direction as the
Earth is rotating
Properties of geostationary
orbits
Period of orbit around the Earth, T = 24 hours =
86400 s

2𝜋
Angular velocity of orbit, 𝜔 =
𝑇
2𝜋 2𝜋
𝜔= = = 7.27 × 10−5 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠
𝑇 86400 𝑠
Properties of geostationary
orbits
Radius of orbit of a geostationary satellite, 𝑟
𝐹𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝐹𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝐺𝑀𝑚
𝑚𝜔2 𝑟 =
𝑟2
2 𝐺𝑀𝑚
𝑚𝜔 𝑟 = 2
𝑟
3 𝐺𝑀
𝑟 = 2
𝜔
3 𝐺𝑀 3 6.67×10−11 ×5.972×1024
𝑟= = = 4.22 × 107 𝑚
𝜔2 7.27 ×10−5 2
Uses of geostationary
satellites
1. Weather monitoring
2. Television transmission
3. Telephone communication