UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.

1 Circular Motion 1

 Candidates should be able to : Circular motion is an integral part

of our everyday experience. Most
 Define the radian. of our transport makes use of the
wheel to convert rotational into
 Convert angles from degrees into radians and vice versa. linear motion.

 Explain that a force perpendicular to the velocity of an

object will make the object describe a circular path. Music and film is readily available to us courtesy of spinning CD’s and
DVD’s, and many fairground rides, such as the Big Wheel, thrill us by
 Explain what is meant by centripetal acceleration and giving us a real feel of the centripetal force.
centripetal force.

 Select and apply the equations for :

Speed : v = 2πr
T

Centripetal acceleration : a = v2
r
Circular motion is as common to our description of the atom as it
is to that of the motion of planets and galaxies.
 Select and apply the equation for :

Centripetal force : F = ma = mv2

r

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 2

To convert ˚ to radians - x by π/180˚

MEASURING ROTATION
To convert radians to ˚ - x by 180˚/π

ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT

This is the angle (θ) through which

θ
an object turns when it is moving UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION
in a circle.
(The equivalent quantity in LINEAR motion Is said to occur when an object rotates at a CONSTANT
is the LINEAR DISPLACEMENT, s).
or STEADY rate.

θ may be expressed in DEGREES, but it is more usually

expressed in RADIANS. rotating disc

A
Consider a point A on the r
perimeter of a disc of v
One RADIAN is the angle radius (r) which is rotating
r r
subtended at the centre of at a steady or constant
a circle by an arc of length speed.
r
equal to the radius of the
1 radian
circle.
Linear speed (v) of point A is given by :
angle in radians = length of arc
Radius v = distance moved in one revolution = 2πr
θ = s time taken for one revolution T
r And since T = 1/f, v = 2πr = 2πrf
1/f
Therefore, for a complete circle : θ = s = 2πr = 2π
r v = 2πr = 2πrf
T
360˚ = 2π radians
Therefore, 1 radian = 360˚ ≈ 57.3˚ (m s-1) ( period in s) (m) (frequency in s-1 or Hz)

2π

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 5 Cyclists racing in the Olympic 3
Velodrome often reach speeds
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS (1) of 18 m s-1 on bikes having
wheels of diameter 700 mm.
1 Calculate the angular displacement of the tip of the minute hand on
a watch in (i) Degrees and (ii) Radians, in a time of : Calculate :

(a) 5 minutes, (b) 15 minutes, (c) 1 hour. (a) The time taken for one
complete revolution of
the wheels.
2 (a) Calculate the number of radians in : (i) 60˚, (ii) 145˚.
(b) (i) The rotational frequency of the wheels.
(b) Calculate the number of degrees in : (i) 0.8 radian.
(ii) π/4 radian. (ii) The number of complete revolutions made by the wheels
in 4 minutes.
(c) Express 30˚, 60˚ and 90˚ as multiples of π radians.
(iii) The distance travelled by the cyclist in 4 minutes.

3 The wheels on a racing car turn at a frequency of 10 Hz. Calculate :

(a) The time period (T). 6 The Earth has an orbits the
Sun at an average radius of
(b) The angular displacement in radians in a time of : 1.5 x 1011 m. Given that
it completes its orbit in
(i) 25 ms, (ii) 100 ms. 365.3 days, calculate the
Earth’s orbital :

4 At some point in the past, when the Earth was in its initial stages
of formation, it took 18 hours to complete one revolution about its (a) Frequency.
axis. Given that the Earth’s diameter is 12800 km, calculate :
(b) Linear speed.
(a) The speed of rotation of a point on the equator.
(c) Angular speed in radians per second.
(b) The angular displacement of this point in a time of
30 minutes, (i) in radians and (ii) in degrees.

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 4

CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION AND FORCE  According to NEWTON’S FIRST LAW, an object

continues to move in a straight line unless a resultant
force acts on it.

In this case the resultant force, which is called the

CENTRIPETAL FORCE (Fc), acts on the ball towards
the centre of the circle giving it a CENTRIPETAL
ACCELERATION.

string The centripetal force is provided by the tension in

the string.

POINTS TO NOTE

 If the string breaks, there is no

centripetal force and the ball will
fly off at a tangent to the circle
from the point at which the force
Consider a ball attached to the end of a string and stopped acting.
whirled in a horizontal circle at constant speed (v).
 The centripetal acceleration and
 The ball’s velocity is always directed along the the centripetal force is directed
tangent to the circle (i.e. at 90˚ to the string). towards the centre of the circle
(i.e. at 90˚ to the ball’s direction
of motion).
 Since the speed is constant, the magnitude of the
velocity stays the same, but the direction of the
velocity is continually changing.  The centripetal force does NO WORK on the object moving in a
circular path. This is because it acts at right angles to the object’s
direction of motion, so there is no actual motion in the force
 Since a change in direction constitutes an acceleration,
direction.
the ball has an acceleration which is directed towards
the centre of the circular path.

This is the CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION (ac).

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 5

EXAMPLES OF CENTRIPETAL FORCE CENTRIPETAL FORCE AND ACCELERATION FORMULAE

Situation in which a centripetal What provides the

force acts centripetal force m

A planet in orbit The gravitational attraction

around the Sun. force acting between the planet
and the Sun.
Fc m
ac

An object on the The force of gravity acting on

Earth’s surface. the object (i.e. its weight).

 For a object of mass (m) moving with constant

A car rounding a The frictional force acting
speed (v) in a circular path of radius (r), the
bend in the road. between the tyres and the road.
CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION (ac) is given by :

ac = v2
An electron in orbit The electrostatic attraction
around the nucleus. force acting between the r
negatively charged electron (m s-2) (m s-1)
and the positively charged (m)
nucleus.

Charged particles The magnetic force acting on

moving through a the charged particles.
magnetic field acting
at right angles to the
direction of motion
of the particles.

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 3 Explain what happens when the driver in a car moving along a flat, 6
frozen lake tries to move in a circle by turning the steering wheel.

 According to NEWTON’S 2nd LAW :

4 A ball of mass 180 g is
resultant force = mass x acceleration attached to a string and
F= ma whirled round in a
horizontal circle of radius
So the CENTRIPETAL FORCE (Fc) acting on the 400 mm at constant speed.
object is given by :
If the ball completes three
revolutions each second,
(N) (kg) (m s-1)
calculate :
Fc = m v2
(a) The linear speed of the ball.
r
(m)
(b) The centripetal acceleration of the ball.

(c) The tension in the string.

 PRACTICE QUESTIONS (2)

1 Referring to both magnitude and direction, describe how each of the

following quantities will change as a body moves in a circular path at 5 The Earth orbits the Sun with a period of 365.3 days at a mean
constant speed : radius of 1.5 x 108 km. Assuming the orbit to be circular and given
that the mass of the Earth is 6.0 x 1024 kg, calculate :
SPEED, VELOCITY, MOMENTUM, KINETIC ENERGY,
CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION, CENTRIPETAL FORCE. (a) The distance travelled by the Earth in one complete orbit.

2 Name the force which provides the centripetal force needed for (b) The orbital speed of the Earth.
circular motion in each of the following cases :
(c) The centripetal acceleration of the Earth.
(a) A satellite orbiting around the Earth.
(b) A racing car rounding a bend on a flat, rough track. (d) The gravitational force acting between the Earth and the Sun.
(c) The weight at the end of a swinging pendulum.
(d) A cart doing the loop the loop in a fairground roller coaster.

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 4 Venus orbits the Sun once every 7
225 days at an average distance
 HOMEWORK QUESTIONS of 1.05 x 1011 m. Given that the
mass of Venus is 4.92 x 1024 kg,
1 A proton of mass 1.67 x 10-27 kg moving at a constant speed of Calculate :
2.5 x 107 m s-1 enters a uniform magnetic field at right angles to its
path and as a result it is caused to move in a circular path of radius (a) Its orbital speed.
275 mm. Calculate for the proton : VENUS
(b) Its centripetal acceleration.
(a) The time taken for 1 complete orbit.
(c) The gravitational force exerted on Venus by the Sun.
(b) The centripetal acceleration.

(c) The force exerted on it by the magnetic field. 5 A pulley wheel of

diameter 24 mm 24 mm pulley
fitted to an electric
motor in a machine 60 mm pulley
2 An object moves in a circular path at constant speed. Explain why : rotates at a electric
frequency of 30 Hz. motor
casing
(a) The velocity of the object is continually changing even
A belt fitted to the
though its speed remains constant. wheel is used to drive belt

a drum in the machine drum

(b) The object accelerates even though its speed remains as shown opposite.
constant.

(a) Calculate :

(i) The speed of the belt on the wheel.

3 The turning circle of an aircraft, when flying horizontally at a
(ii) The centripetal acceleration of the belt attached to the wheel
constant speed of 600 m s-1, has a radius of 65 km. Given that the
as it moves round the 24 mm pulley wheel.
total mass of the aircraft is 1.2 x 104 kg, Calculate the ratio of
centripetal force to weight for the aircraft. (b) The belt drives the drum via another pulley wheel of diameter 60 mm
Take g = 9.81 N kg-1. attached to the drum axle. Calculate :

(i) The frequency of rotation of the 60 mm pulley wheel.

(ii) The centripetal acceleration of the belt as it passes round the
60 mm pulley wheel.

FXA © 2008
UNIT G484 Module 2 4.2.1 Circular Motion 8

6 In one type of vacuum

cleaner, dusty air enters a
cylindrical container of
radius 0.080 m. The air
swirls around inside the
cylinder, travelling at
maximum speed of 380 m s-1,
as shown in the diagram
opposite.

Assume that the maximum

speed of dust particles in
the air flow occurs for air
rotating in a horizontal
circle of radius 0.080 m.

(a) Show that the acceleration of a dust particle travelling

at this maximum speed is 1.8 x 106 m s-2.

(b) Calculate the force necessary to give a dust particle, of

mass 5.0 x 10-7 kg, the acceleration in (a).

(c) The weight of the dust particle is 4.9 x 10-6 N. Determine

how many times the force in (b) is greater than the weight
of the particle.

(d) Suggest what happens to a dust particle in this cleaner.

FXA © 2008