When a car travels without skidding

around an unbanked curve, the static

frictional force between the tires and
the road provides the centripetal force.
The reliance on friction can be
eliminated completely for a given
speed, however, if the curve is banked
at an angle relative to the horizontal,
much in the same way that a plane is
banked while making a turn.
The figure shows a car going around a friction-
free banked curve. The radius of the curve is r,
where r is measured parallel to the horizontal
and not to the slanted surface

Shows the normal force that the road applies to

the car, the normal force being perpendicular
to the road. Because the roadbed makes an
angle 𝜃 with respect to the horizontal, the
normal force has a component FN sin 𝜃 that
points toward the center C of the circle and
provides the centripetal force:
The vertical component of the normal force is FN cos 𝜃 and, since the car does
not accelerate in the vertical direction, this component must balance the weight
mg of the car. Therefore, FN cos 𝜃 = mg. Dividing this equation into the
previous one shows that
 This equation indicates that, for a given speed v, the centripetal
force needed for a turn of radius r can be obtained from the
normal force by banking the turn at an angle 𝜃independent of
the mass of the vehicle. Greater speeds and smaller radii require
more steeply banked curves—that is, larger values of 𝜃. At a
speed that is too small for a given 𝜃, a car would slide down a
frictionless banked curve; at a speed that is too large, a car
would slide off the top.
 EXAMPLE
The Daytona 500 is the major event of the
NASCAR (National Association for Stock
Car Auto Racing) season. It is held at the
Daytona International Speedway in
Daytona, Florida. The turns in this oval
track have a maximum radius (at the top) of
r = 316 m and are banked steeply, with 𝜃 =
31 ° (see Figure 5.10). Suppose these
maximum-radius turns were frictionless. At
what speed would the cars have to travel
around them?
Today there are many satellites in orbit
about the earth. The ones in circular orbits
are examples of uniform circular motion.
Like a model airplane on a guideline, each
satellite is kept on its circular path by a
centripetal force. The gravitational pull of
the earth provides the centripetal force and
acts like an invisible guideline for the
satellite.
There is only one speed that a
satellite can have if the satellite is to
remain in an orbit with a fixed radius.
Since the gravitational force is the only force acting on the satellite in the radial
direction, it alone provides the centripetal force. Therefore, using Newton’s law
of gravitation

where G is the universal gravitational constant, ME is the mass of the earth,

and r is the distance from the center of the earth to the satellite. Solving for the
speed v of the satellite gives
Example :
Determine the speed of the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting at a height of 598 km above the
earth’s surface.
Reasoning : the orbital radius r must be determined relative to the center of the earth. Since
the radius of the earth is approximately 6.38x106 m, and the height of the telescope above
the earth’s surface is 0.598x106 m, the orbital radius is r = 6.98 x 106 m.
Motorcycle stunt drivers perform a feat in
which they drive their cycles around a
vertical circular track. Usually, the speed
varies in this stunt. When the speed of travel
on a circular path changes from moment to
moment, the motion is said to be non-
uniform.
 There are four points on a vertical circle
where the centripetal force can be identified
easily. Keep in mind that the centripetal force
is not a new and separate force of nature.
Instead, at each point the centripetal force is
the net sum of all the force components
oriented along the radial direction, and it
points toward the center of the circle.

The drawing shows only the

weight of the cycle plus rider
(magnitude = mg) and the normal
force pushing on the cycle
(magnitude=FN).
The magnitude of the centripetal force at each of the four points is given as
follows in terms of mg and FN:
Rotational Motion
In the simplest kind of rotation, points on a rigid
object move on circular paths. In the Figure, for
example, we see the circular paths for points A, B,
and C on a spinning skater. The centers of all such
circular paths define a line, called the axis of
rotation.
The angle through which a rigid object rotates about a fixed axis is called the angular
displacement

When a rigid body rotates about a fixed axis, the

angular displacement is the angle ∆𝜃 swept out by
a line passing through any point on the body and
intersecting the axis of rotation perpendicularly.
By convention, the angular displacement is
positive if it is counterclockwise and negative if it
is clockwise.

SI Unit of Angular Displacement: radian (rad)*

The picture focuses attention on a point P on
the disc. This point starts out on the stationary
reference line, so that 𝜃𝑜 = 0 rad, and the angular
displacement is ∆𝜃 = 𝜃 − 𝜃𝑜 =𝜃 = 0. As the
disc rotates, the point traces out an arc of length
s, which is measured along a circle of radius r.
the equation defines the angle 𝜃 in radians
To convert between degrees and radians, it is only necessary to remember that the arc length
of an entire circle of radius r is the circumference 2𝜋r. Therefore, the number of radians that
corresponds to 360°, or one revolution, is

Since 2 𝜋 rad corresponds to 360°, the number of degrees in one radian is

Synchronous or “stationary”
communications satellites are put into an
orbit whose radius is r = 4.23 x 107 m.
The orbit is in the plane of the equator,
and two adjacent satellites have an
angular separation of 𝜃 = 2.00°, as . Find
the arc length s (see the drawing) that
separates the satellites.
Angular Velocity
• We now introduce the idea of angular velocity to describe the motion of a rigid object
rotating about a fixed axis. The average angular velocity 𝜔 (Greek letter omega) is defined
as the angular displacement ∆𝜃 = 𝜃 − 𝜃𝑜 divided by the elapsed time ∆t during which the
displacement occurs.

SI Unit of Angular Velocity: radian per second (rad/s)

The SI unit for angular velocity is the radian per second (rad/s), although other
units such as revolutions per minute (rev/min or rpm) are also used. In
agreement with the sign convention adopted for angular displacement, angular
velocity is positive when the rotation is counterclockwise and negative when it is
clockwise.
A gymnast on a high bar swings through
two revolutions in a time of 1.90 s. Find
the average angular velocity (in rad/s) of
the gymnast.
Reasoning:
The average angular velocity of the gymnast in rad/s is the angular displacement in radians
divided by the elapsed time. However, the angular displacement is given as two revolutions,
so we begin by converting this value into radian measure.
Angular Acceleration
In linear motion, a changing velocity means that an acceleration is occurring. Such is also the
case in rotational motion; a changing angular velocity means that an angular acceleration is
occurring. There are many examples of angular acceleration. For instance, as a compact disc
recording is played, the disc turns with an angular velocity that is continually decreasing. And
when the push buttons of an electric blender are changed from a lower setting to a higher
setting, the angular velocity of the blades increases.
A jet awaiting clearance for take off is
momentarily stopped on the runway. As seen from
the front of one engine, the fan blades are rotating
with an angular velocity of - 110 rad/s, where the
negative sign indicates a clockwise rotation. As the
plane takes off, the angular velocity of the blades
reaches - 330 rad/s in a time of 14 s. Find the
angular acceleration, assuming it to be constant.
Reasoning:
Since the angular acceleration is constant, it is equal to the average angular acceleration.
The average acceleration is the change in the angular velocity, 𝜔 − 𝜔𝑜 divided by the
elapsed time, t - 𝑡𝑜

Thus, the magnitude of the angular velocity increases by 16 rad/s during each second that
the blades are accelerating. The negative sign in the answer indicates that the direction of the
angular acceleration is also in the clockwise direction.