1

Uniform circular motion

motion of an
object in a
circle with a
constant or
uniform speed
constant
change in
direction
2
Uniform Circular Motion: Period
Object repeatedly finds itself back
where it started.

The time it takes to travel one cycle
is the period.
distance = rate time
time =
distance
rate v
T =
2 r
v

=
2t
t
r


3
Quantifying Acceleration: Magnitude
v
1

v
2

Similar Triangles:
A A v
v
x
x
=
4
A
A
A
v
v
v t
r
v
v t
r
a
v
t
v
r
=

=

= =
2
2
Quantifying Acceleration: Magnitude
Centripetal Acceleration
5
Applying Newtons 2
nd
Law:
F ma
F
mv
r
=
=
2
Centripetal Force
Always points toward center of circle. (Always changing
direction!)
Centripetal force is the magnitude of the force required to maintain uniform circular
motion.
6
Direction of Centripetal Force,
Acceleration and Velocity
Without a centripetal
force, an object in
motion continues along a
straight-line path.
Without a centripetal
force, an object in motion
continues along a
straight-line path.
7
Direction of Centripetal Force, Acceleration
and Velocity
8
What if velocity decreases?
9
What if mass decreases?
10
What if radius decreases?
11
What provides the centripetal force?
Tension
Gravity
Friction
Normal Force
Centripetal force is NOT a new force. It is simply a way of quantifying the magnitude of
the force required to maintain a certain speed around a circular path of a certain radius.


This centripetal force is the net force and is
directed toward the center of the circle.


12
Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in horizontal circles
of identical diameter but one object goes around the
circle twice as fast as the other. The force required to
keep the faster object on the circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
the force required to keep the slower object on the path.
The answer is E. As the
velocity increases the
centripetal force required to
maintain the circle increases
as the square of the speed.

13
Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in
horizontal circles with the same speed. The
diameter of one circle is half of the diameter of
the other. The force required to keep the object
on the smaller circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
the force required to keep the object on the larger
path.
The answer is D. The centripetal force needed
to maintain the circular motion of an object is
inversely proportional to the radius of the circle.
Everybody knows that it is harder to navigate a
sharp turn than a wide turn.
14
Relationship Between Variables of Uniform
Circular Motion
Suppose two identical objects go around in horizontal circles of
identical diameter and speed but one object has twice the
mass of the other. The force required to keep the more
massive object on the circular path is
A. the same as
B. one fourth of
C. half of
D. twice
E. four times
Answer: D.The mass is directly
proportional to centripetal force.
15
Tension Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
If the person doubles the speed of the
airplane, what happens to the tension in
the cable?
F = ma
mv
r
=
2
Doubling the speed, quadruples the force (i.e. tension) required to keep the plane in
uniform circular motion.
16
Friction Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
17
Friction provides the centripetal acceleration
Car Traveling Around a Circular Track
18
Friction Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration
W
F
N

f
s

Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
0 F
N

f
s
-
s
F
N
0
Sum ma 0
What is the maximum speed that a car can
use around a curve of radius r?
19
Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
0 F
N

F
C
-
s
F
N
0
Sum ma 0
F mg F
F mg
F ma mg
mv
r
mg
v g r
v g r
y N
N
x s
s
s
s
= = +
=
= =
=
=
=

0
2
2

max
max
max
max
Maximum Velocity
20
F = ma
mv
r
=
2
Centripetal Force: Question
Smaller radius: larger force required to keep it in
uniform circular motion.
A car travels at a constant speed around two curves.
Where is the car most likely to skid? Why?
21
Gravity Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
Hubble Space Telescope
orbits at an altitude of 598 km
(height above Earths surface).
What is its orbital speed?
22
Gravity and Centripetal Acceleration:
Centripetal acceleration provided by gravitational force
G m M
R
m v
R
E

=

2
2
23
Gravity and Centripetal Acceleration:
G m M
R
m v
R
E

=

2
2
Solve for the velocity.
v
G m M R
m R
v
G M
R
v
G M
R
E
E
E
2
2
2
=

=

=

24
Hubble Space Telescope:
v
GM
R km
v
v
E
E
=
+
=

=

598
6 67 10 974 10
7 600
11 24
( . ) (5.
,
m kg s kg)
6,976,000 m
m/ s
3 -1 -2
25
Banked Curves

Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
26
Banked Curves
Q: Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
27
Banked Curves
Q: Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
A: To increase the centripetal force for the higher exit speed.
28
The Normal Force Can Yield a Centripetal Acceleration:
How many forces are
acting on the car (assuming
no friction)?
Engineers have learned to bank curves so that cars can safely travel around the curve
without relying on friction at all to supply the centripetal acceleration.
29
Banked Curves
Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
F
N
cosu = mg
30
Banked Curves
Why exit ramps in highways are banked?
F
N
cosu = mg
31
The Normal Force as a Centripetal Force:
Two: Gravity and Normal
Force X Y
W 0 -mg
F
N
F
N
sinu F
N
cosu
Sum ma 0
32
The Normal Force as a Centripetal Force:
F mg F
mg
F F ma
mv
r
mg mv
r
v
gr
y N
x N
= + =
=
= = =
=
=

cos
cos
sin
cos
sin
tan
u
u
u
u
u
u
0
2
2
2
F
N
33
The Normal Force and Centripetal Acceleration:
tanu =
v
gr
2
How to bank a curve
so that you dont rely on friction at all!!
34
Artificial Gravity

Artificial gravity is the varying (increase or decrease)
of apparent gravity (g-force) via artificial means,
particularly in space, but also on Earth. It can be
practically achieved by the use of different forces,
particularly the centripetal force and linear
acceleration.
The creation of artificial gravity is considered desirable
for long-term space travel or habitation, for ease of
mobility, for in-space fluid management, and to avoid
the adverse long-term health effects of
weightlessness.

Practical in-space applications of artificial gravity for humans have not
yet been built and flown, principally due to the large size of the full-
scale spacecraft that would be required to allow centripetal
acceleration rotating spacecraft, such that they have not been selected
as funded missions for the various large national space agencies that
have developed the vast majority of space hardware in the early
decades of human spaceflight.
35
Vertical Circular Motion
36
Vertical Circular Motion
Loop-the-Loop
As the car or motorcycle
goes around loop

The centripetal force can
be found in four places
easily
Loop-the-Loop
1. F
N1
-mg=mv
2
/r

2. F
N2
= mv
2
/r

3. F
N3
+mg=mv
2
/r

4. F
N4
= mv
2
/r
Loop-the-Loop (top)
Must have minimum
speed at top of loop

F
N3
+mg=mv
2
/r

F
N3
= 0 if barely
touching

mg=mv
2
/r g = v
2
/r


Loop-the-Loop (top)
If F
N
= 0 at top of Loop

No force from the track

Centripetal force provided by weight

Rider experiences apparent weightlessness
Example
A 10-gram Hot Wheels car goes around a
vertical loop with radius 5 cm. What speed
must it have at the top of the track to
maintain contact?
v = 0.70 m/s
What Force does it undergo at the bottom of
the loop if it has a speed of 5 m/s?
F = 4.9 N
Practice Problem
Dont let these problems throw you for a loop!

142#CQ14 - 16, P36 40

Total of 8 problems