Scribd
Upload
72 views25 pages

Circular Motion and Gravitation

1) A car rounding a curve experiences centripetal acceleration towards the center of the curve due to friction between the tires and the road. If friction is not enough, the car will skid out of the curve. 2) For a car on a dry road with friction coefficient of 0.6 to make a turn of radius 50m at 14m/s, it will not skid. But on icy road with friction coefficient of 0.25, it will skid since friction cannot provide enough force for the turn.

Uploaded by

TypeName
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
72 views25 pages

Circular Motion and Gravitation

1) A car rounding a curve experiences centripetal acceleration towards the center of the curve due to friction between the tires and the road. If friction is not enough, the car will skid out of the curve. 2) For a car on a dry road with friction coefficient of 0.6 to make a turn of radius 50m at 14m/s, it will not skid. But on icy road with friction coefficient of 0.25, it will skid since friction cannot provide enough force for the turn.

Uploaded by

TypeName
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 25

Chapter 5

Circular Motion and Gravitation


Kinematics of Uniform Circular motion
An object that moves in a circle at constant speed, v, is
said to be under uniform circular motion.
The magnitude of velocity remains constant.
The direction of velocity changes continuously.
Rate of change in direction is acceleration.
Objects revolving in a circle are continuously
accelerating.
What causes acceleration? A net force. What direction?
Toward the center.
Centripetal Acceleration
Acceleration toward the center of a circular path is called
“centripetal” or “radial” acceleration, aR.
Since acceleration depends on velocity and distance,

2
v
aR 
r
Acceleration and Velocity for circular motion
The acceleration vector points toward the
center of the circle. The velocity vector
points in the direction of the motion.
Acceleration and velocity are always
perpendicular at each point in the path of
uniform circular motion.

Velocity is tangential to the


Path of the circular motion.
Centripetal Acceleration
Let’s take a look at some examples we see in everyday
life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G7tjiMNVlc
Period and Frequency
The frequency, f, of a revolving object is the number of
revolutions it makes each second.
The period, T, of an object is the time for one complete
revolution. 1
T
f
If an object revolves at 3 rev/s, then each revolution takes
1/3 s. For an object revolving in a circle at constant
speed, v, we say
object travels one circumference in one revolution.
o Since an

v
d 2r
Recall:
t
So: v
t
Example 1

A 150 g ball at the end of a string is revolving uniformly


in a horizontal circle of radius 0.600m. The ball
makes 2.00 revolutions in a second. What is its
centripetal acceleration?

Solution: The centripetal acceleration is aR = v2/r. First


we determine the speed of the ball, v. If the ball
makes 2 complete revolutions each second, then the
ball travels in a complete circle in 0.500s, which is its
period, T. Since the distance equals 2πr, where r is the
radius of the circle, the speed is 2πr/T.
Solution Example 1

Therefore the ball has a speed

2r 2(3.14)(0.600m)
v   7.54m /s
T (0.500s)
The centripetal acceleration is

 v 2 (7.54m /s) 2
aR    94.8m / s2
r (0.600m)
Example 2
The moon’s nearly circular orbit about the Earth has a
radius of about 384,000km and a period T of 27.3 days.
Determine the acceleration of the Moon toward the Earth.
Solution example 2
In orbit around the Earth, the Moon travels a distance of 2πr,
where r = 3.84 x 108m is the radius of its circular path.
The speed of the Moon in its orbit about the Earth is v =
2πr/T. The period T in seconds is
T = (27.3d)(24.0h/d)(3600s/h) = 2.36x106s.
Therefore, v 2 (2r) 2 [2(3.14)(3.84 x10 8 m)]2
aR   2

r T r (2.36x10 6 s) 2 (3.84 x10 8 m)
 0.00272m /s2  2.72x103 m /s2

In terms of g = 9.80m/s2, aR = 2.78x10-4g.



Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion
Circular motion still follows Newton’s laws, especially
Newton’s Second. An object moving in a circle must have a
force applied to it to keep it moving in that circle.
A net force gives a circularly moving object, centripetal
acceleration.
2
v
 FR  maR  m r
Since aR is toward the center, the net force must be directed
toward the center of the circle.


Newton’s First law revisited
If NO net force acted on the circling object, then it
would continue in a STRAIGHT LINE path, NOT in a
circle!
Since the direction of the straight line path continually
changes, the direction of the force must continually
change so that it is always directed toward the center
of the circle. This is the centripetal force, the net
force.
What applies the force?
The centripetal force on an object must be applied by a
different object.
In a rock circling at the end of a string over a person’s
head, the person pulls on the string and the string
exerts the centripetal force on the rock.
How does the object stay out there?
Is there a force keeping the revolving object out there?
A common misconception is the sense of a “center fleeing
force, or centrifugal force”. This is incorrect! The inertia
of the circling object causes it to continue in a straight
line.
You keep pulling inward, changing the path, but what if
the string breaks?
The rock NOT flying outward from the center disproves
the “centrifugal force” idea…
Example 3

Estimate the force a person must exert on a string attached


to a 0.150kg ball to make the ball revolve in a horizontal
circle of radius 0.600m. The ball makes 2.00 revolutions
per second.
Example 3 Solution

First draw a free body diagram for the ball showing the 2
forces acting on the ball, Fg = mg and the tension force, FT
from the string. (the ball’s weight makes it impossible to
twirl the string truly horizontal, but if it was small enough we
could ignore it and FT can act horizontally and provide the
force to give the centripetal
2 accel.
v (7.54m /s) 2
FTx  m  (0.150kg)  14N
r (0.600m)
ΣF = ma or
x x

Wherewe round off because we ignore ball’s mass.


Example 4: Tetherball anyone?
The game of tetherball is played with a ball tied to a pole
with a string. When the ball is struck, it whirls around the
pole. In what direction is the acceleration of the ball, and
what causes the acceleration?
Example 4 Solution
The acceleration points horizontally toward the center of the
ball’s circular path. The force responsible for the acceleration
may not be obvious at first, since there seems to be no force
pointing directly horizontal. But it is the net force (sum of
mg and FT) that must point in the direction of the acceleration.
The vertical component of the string tension balances the
ball’s weight, mg. The horizontal component of the string
tension, FTx, is the force that produces the centripetal
acceleration.
Example 4 Illustrated

FTy FT

FTx

mg
5-3: A car rounding a curve

One example of centripetal acceleration occurs when an


automobile rounds a curve. The car must have an inward
force exerted on it if it is to move in a curve. On a flat
road, this force is supplied by friction between the tires
and the pavement.
As long as the tires are not slipping, the friction is static as
one part is stationary for an instant.
If friction is not great enough, the car will skid out of the
curve in a nearly straight path.
Skidding on a curve problem

A 1000 kg car rounds a curve on a flat road of radius 50m


at a speed of 50km/h (14m/s). Will the car make the turn,
or will it skid if: (a) the pavement is dry and the
coefficient of static friction, μs = 0.60; (b) the pavement is
icy and μs = 0.25?
Racecar solution
The normal force on the car = its weight since the road is flat and
no vertical acceleration:
FN = mg = (1000 kg) (9.8 m/s2) = 9800 N
In the horizontal direction, the only force is friction and we must
compare it to the force needed to produce the centripetal
acceleration. mv 2 (14m /s) 2
F R  maR 
r
 (1000kg)
50m
 3900N

(a) (FFR)max=μsFN = (0.60)(9800N) = 5900 N, so the car can make


the turn.
Racecar solution part b
(b): (FFR)max=μsFN=(0.25)(9800N) = 2500 N
The car will skid because the ground cannot exert sufficient
force (3900 N is needed) to keep it moving in a curve of radius
50 m.
If the wheels lock (stop rotating) when the brakes are applied
too hard, the situation gets worse! Tires slide and the friction
force is now kinetic which is less than static.
The banking of curves helps reduce chance
of skidding because there is a component of
the normal force toward the center of the
circle.
The banking angle of a
road, θ, is chosen so the
horizontal component of
the normal force, Fnsinθ,
is just equal to the force
required to give
centripetal acceleration,
mv2/r.
Your turn to Practice
Please do Chapter 5 Review pg 138 #s 1,2,4,5,6
Please do Ch 5 Rev p 139 #s 1-4,6,7,9,14

You might also like