Circular motion
Characteristics of Circular Motion Uniform circular motion: The motion of an object in a circle with constant or uniform speed The speed of an object moving in a circle is equal to distance divided by the time. Distance = circumference Time = period (time for one revolution)
Characteristics of Circular Motion Speed of the object is constant but velocity is changing Direction is always changing Direction of motion is always tangent to the circle If a rotating object breaks free from a circle it will fly off in a straight line following the tangent path
Characteristics of Circular Motion Objects moving in a circle are accelerating a = Δv / t Since direction changes, velocity changes Objects moving in a circle must have a force acting on them. Net force is required for acceleration Force is in the same direction as the acceleration
Centripetal force (Fc): Net force required for circular motion Acceleration will be towards the center of the circle which also means that a force must act that is directed towards the center of the circle Centripetal means “center-seeking” Centripetal acceleration (ac): acceleration that is produced whenever the direction of velocity changes ac = v2 / r Centripetal force (Fc): Net force required for circular motion Fc = m*ac = (m*v2) / r The centripetal force is not a separate external force, it is a net force “We are not introducing a new type of force but rather describing the direction of the net force acting upon the object which moves in the circle”
A Nonexistent Force If a car in which you are riding stops suddenly, you will be thrown forward into your seat belt. Is there a forward force on you? If a car makes a sharp left turn, a passenger on the right side may be thrown against the right door. Is there an outward force on the passenger? This centrifugal, or outward, force is fictitious and nonexistent This fictitious force is really Newton’s 1st law of Inertia! Inertia is a feeling, not a force.