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 9.1 Describing circular motion

A Radian as a unit of angle
1 Radian (rad): SI unit of _____________
An angle θ in radians is the ratio of the arc length s to the radius r.
s
θ = =
⬚ r

2 Since the circumference of a circle of radius r is 2πr, the angle around a point θcircle can
be expressed in radians as:
2πr
θcircle = =
r

The unit ‘rad’ is often omitted when the angle is expressed in terms of .
3 The radian is related to the degree (°) by

θ (in radian) θ (in degree)

=
2π 360°
4 Some conversion between radian and degree:

Angle

Expressed in ° 90°

Expressed in rad 2π

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B Angular displacement
1 The motion of an object moving in a circle can be described by ___________________
____________________ θ, which concerns only the angle but not the distance travelled.

object

radius r distance
travelled= s

centre

θ=

2 For the same angular displacement θ, an object with a larger radius travels a

_____________ distance.

C Angular velocity and angular speed

1 __________________________ ω describes the rate of change of angular
displacement. It is defined as the angular displacement per unit time.

ω=

The unit of angular velocity is _____________.

2 When an object performs circular motion with a constant angular velocity, such motion
is called ______________________________________________.
3 Angular displacement and angular velocity are vectors. For simplicity, we omit their
directions in this book. The magnitude of the angular velocity is the
__________________________.

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D Linear speed v
1 For an object performing uniform circular motion,
linear speed v is equal to the magnitude of the object’s r s
__________________________. The linear velocity at v

a point lies along the _______________ of the circle at r

that point. Therefore, it keeps changing as the object

moves.

2 When an object travels an angular displacement of θ along a circular path of radius r at a

uniform speed v, the distance travelled s is given by _______________. Besides,

s r 𝜃
v = = = r( )
t t 𝑡

Therefore, the relationship between the linear speed v and the angular speed  is

v=

3 For objects moving with the same angular speed ω, the linear speed v is _____________
proportional to the radius of the path r.

If ωB = ωA, then
rB = 2rA implies vB = 2vA

4 If two objects have the same v, the one with smaller r has a _____________ ω.

If vQ = vP, then
rB = 2rA implies vB = 2vA

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E Period
1 The period T of a uniform circular motion is the time that the object takes to complete
one revolution.

T= =
 v

Quick check 1
Both Anson and Benny run at the same linear speed of 5 m s−1 in circular paths around the
same centre. The radii of Anson’s and Benny’s paths are 18 m and 12 m respectively.

Anson
Benny

(a) Find their angular speeds.

(b) Find their periods.

Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Apply  = __________.
Angular speed of Anson =
Angular speed of Benny =
2 πr
(b) Apply T = .
v

Period of Anson =

Period of Benny =

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 9.2 Centripetal force and centripetal acceleration

A Centripetal force
1 When an object performs uniform circular motion, the net force acting on it points
towards the _______________ of the circular path and is called the
_____________________________________.

B Centripetal acceleration
1 When an object performs uniform circular motion, its acceleration always points
towards the _______________ of the path and is called the ____________________
acceleration.
2 Suppose an object travels in a circle of radius r at a
uniform speed v, or at a uniform angular speed . The
magnitude of the centripetal acceleration is given by:

a = ____________ (in terms of v)

or a = ____________ (in terms of )

Quick check 2
A car turns at a junction as shown. It travels a quarter of a
circle of radius 21 m at a uniform speed v in 2.6 s.
(a) Find v.
(b) Find the acceleration of the car when it turns.

Solution-------------------------------------------------------------

distance travelled
(a) v = =
time taken

(b) Centripetal acceleration =

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C Circular motion and Newton’s laws

1 By F = ma, the magnitude of the centripetal force is given by:

F = ____________ (in terms of v)

or F = ____________ (in terms of )

2 The centripetal force is the net force acting on an object to keep it in circular motion.
The centripetal force can be provided by different kinds of forces.

Example 1

Example 2

3 The centripetal force and the centripetal acceleration are __________________ in

magnitude, but their directions are constantly changing.
4 The centripetal force is always __________________ to the velocity of the object.
Therefore, the centripetal force does no work on the object.

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Quick check 3
0.8 m s−1

O 20 cm

A ball of 0.5 kg is connected to a fixed point O by a string of 20 cm long. It moves in a circle

on a smooth horizontal table with a constant speed 0.8 m s−1.
(a) Find the tension T in the string.
(b) If the speed of the ball doubles, how will T change?

Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(a) T = centripetal force =

(b) Since T  ________, T will increase / decrease to ____________.

5 Suppose the centripetal force disappears suddenly when an object performs uniform
circular motion on a smooth horizontal surface. According to Newton’s
_______________ law, the object will continue to move along a _______________
path tangential to the circle.

 The string breaks suddenly.

 The tension in the

 No unbalanced forces act string provides the

on the ball. centripetal force.

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 9.3 Examples of uniform circular motion

A Making turns on level roads
1 When a car makes a turn on a level road, the centripetal force comes from the
____________________________ f, which acts laterally between the road and the car.
The free-body diagram of the car is as follows:

2 When a car turns a sharper corner, a _______________ sideways friction is required.

3 If the centripetal force required exceeds the maximum value of sideways friction fmax,
the car can no longer keep its circular motion but skids inwards / outwards. This
happens when a car turns a corner which is too _______________ or when its speed is
too _______________.

Quick check 4
A car of mass 1000 kg turns a corner of radius r at 60 km h−1 on a level road. The maximum
friction between the car’s tyres and the road is 9000 N. Find the limitation of the value of r.

Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ___________________________ f provides the centripetal force.

f= r=

Since f has a maximum value of 9000 N, _______________ value of r =

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B Making turns in the air

1 Consider a flying aeroplane. When the wings are horizontal, the free-body diagram of
the aeroplane is as follows:

2 When the aeroplane banks, the horizontal component of the lifting force L provides the
centripetal force for the aeroplane to make a turn.

mv2
=
r

The vertical component of the lifting force and the weight balance each other.
= mg

Quick check 5
An aeroplane of mass 3.6  106 kg is about to make a turn horizontally. It tilts so that the
lifting force makes an angle  to the vertical. If the radius of curvature of the turn is 2400 m
and the speed of the aeroplane is 280 km h−1, what should  be?
Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The free-body diagram of the aeroplane is as shown.

lifting force L

weight mg

Consider the vertical direction.

………(1)
Consider the horizontal direction.
………(2)
(2)  (1):

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C Making turns on banked roads

1 Consider a car turning on a banked road. Beside the sideways friction f, the _________
________________ R acting on the car by a tilted road can also contribute to the
centripetal force.

(a) If the road is ideally-banked, the centripetal force is only provided by the horizontal
component of the _______________________ on the car. The car does not tend to
move up or down the slope and there is no sideways friction acting on the car.
(b) In non-ideal cases, a ________________________ acts on the car sideways. The
_______________ components of R and f add up to provide the centripetal force.
Complete the following table. Label all forces acting on the car in each figure.

(i) Ideal banking: R

Horizontal component of R = centripetal force

 No sideways friction

mg

(ii) Non-ideal case:

Horizontal component of R  centripetal force required
The car tends to skid inwards / outwards.
 Sideways friction points inwards / outwards.

(iii) Non-ideal case:

Horizontal component of R  centripetal force required
The car tends to slide inwards / outwards.
 Sideways friction points inwards / outwards.

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Quick check 6
A car of mass 1000 kg turns a corner. The radius of curvature of the corner is 400 m and the
road is banked at 8.
(a) Assume the car turns the corner without friction acting on it.
(i) Find the normal reaction acting on the car by the road.
(ii) Find the speed of the car.
(b) Assume the car turns the corner at 20 m s−1 without skidding. There is a friction f acting
sideways on the car.
(i) Does the friction f point inwards or outwards of the corner?
(ii) Write two equations that relate the normal reaction R and the friction f.

Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) The free-body diagram of the car is as shown.
R
(i) Consider the vertical direction.

mg
8

 The normal reaction is ______________.

(ii) The horizontal component of R provides the centripetal force.

 The speed of the car is ______________.

(b) (i) As the speed is _______________ than that in (a)(ii), a _______________
centripetal force is required. Therefore, the friction points _______________.
(ii) The free-body diagram of the car is as shown.
Consider the vertical direction.

Consider the horizontal direction. 8

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D Rotor
1 Consider a rider in a rotor. When the floor is lowered, the rider is acted on by three
forces, its _______________ mg, the _______________________ R and the
_______________ f from the wall. The free-body diagram of the rider is as follows:

2 In the horizontal direction, the normal force provides the centripetal force:
R=
In the vertical direction, the forces balance each other:
f = mg

E Conical pendulum
1 The bob in a conical pendulum performs uniform circular motion. The bob is acted on
by two forces: its _______________ mg and the _______________ T in the string.

2 In the horizontal direction, the horizontal component of T provides the centripetal force:

In the vertical direction, the vertical component of T and the weight balance each other:

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Experiment: Verifying T = mω2L

 Construct the centripetal force apparatus.
Measure the mass m of the rubber bung and the
mass M of the screw nuts. Measure a length L of
the nylon string from the rubber bung to the
glass tube. Mark this length by sticking a paper
marker on the string.

 Whirl the rubber bung.

 Measure the time taken for several revolutions

and calculate the angular speed ω.

 Repeat steps  and  with different lengths L.

Quick check 7
The above experiment is carried out to verify the equation T = mω2L where T is the tension in
the string.
(a) By considering the centripetal force acting on the rubber bung, show that T = mω2L.
(b) How is the tension T measured in the experiment?

Solution----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a)

glass tube  L

T
r rubber bung

As shown in the figure,

sin  =
The horizontal component of T provides the centripetal force.
T sin  = mr2

(b) As the paper marker stays at a fixed position, the screw nuts can be regarded as
_______________, i.e. the net force acting on the screw nuts is _______________.
Therefore, T is equal to the ______________________________________.

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