VELAMMAL MAIN IIT & MEDICAL ACADEMY

XI NEET Formulas Sub: PHYSICS

Topic: Horizontal Circular Motion
1. Radius Vector :
When a particle is moving on the circumference of a circle the line joining
the position of the particle at any instant of time and the centre of the
circle is called radius vector.

O  P
 
OP  r
r

2. Angular Displacement (  ) :
i) It is the angle described by the radius vector in a given time interval.

P
P
θ 
O r P0 O P0

For particle For rigid body

arc length PP
Angle =  0
radius r
ii) SI unit : radian ; It has no dimensions.

360
1 radian   57.3
2
iii) Large angular displacements are scalars
iv) Small angular displacements are axial vectors.
The direction of angular displacement is along the axis of rotation as
given by right hand thumb rule.
v) For one revolution,   2 radian.
For n revolutions,   2n
vi) Relation between Linear displacement (s) and angular displacement
() :

In vector form ds  d  r

In magnitude, s  r 

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3. Angular velocity :
"The rate of change of angular displacement of a particle is called angular
velocity”.
i) Average Angular velocity :

P2
 2 P1
2  1 
1 avg  
O P0 t2  t1 t

ii) Instantaneous angular velocity :


  d
r V
inst  Lt   
 t0   t  dt

iii) SI unit : radian/sec. Dimensional formula: [T–1]

iv) Angular velocity is a pseudo vector.
Its direction is given by right hand screw rule.The direction of the angular
velocity will be along the axis of rotation.
v) If the particle moves with a constant speed in a circular path its
instantaneous and average angular velocities are equal.
vi) When a body performs ‘N’ rotations in a time interval 't', then its average

2N
angular velocity is  
t
1 rps = 2 rad/s ; n rps = 2 n rad/s

2  2 n n
1 rpm = rad / s (or ) rad / s ; n rpm = rad / s (or ) rad / s
60 30 60 30
vii) Relation between  ,T and f :

2  1
 = 2 f  f  
T  T
 = Angular velocity (or) angular frequency.
T : Time period f : frequency

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viii) Relation between linear velocity and angular velocity:
In magnitude, V  r
  
In vector notation , V    r
 
     r  v
V  0 and r  0 ;  2
r

ix) If two particles are moving on same circle or different coplanar concentric
circles in same direction with different uniform angular speeds  A and
 B respectively, then
B
VB
r
A
VA
rB
rA

a) the angular velocity of B relative to A for an observer at the centre will

be  rel   B   A
b) The time taken by one to complete one revolution around O with respect
to the other (i.e., time in which B completes one more or less
revolution around O than A).
2 2 TT  2 
T   1 2 as T   
 rel  2 ~ 1 T1 ~ T2
c) In the above case , if the two paticles are revolving in opposite directions
in a circular path, then  rel   B   A

2 2 TT  2 
T   1 2 as T   
 rel  2  1 T1  T2
d) If two particles are moving on two different concentric circles with
different velocities then angular velocity of B relative to A as
observed by A will depend on their positions and velocities.
When A and B are closest to each other and moving in the
v rel v B  v A
same direction,  rel  r  r  r
rel B A

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4. Angular velocity of hands of a clock.
i) Angular velocity of seconds hand. Seconds hand completes one revolution
2 
in 60s.   rad s–1
60 30
ii) Angular velocity of minutes hand. Minutes hand completes one revolution
2
in one hour (3600 s)    1800 rad s–1
3600
iii) Angular velocity of hours hand. Hours hand completes one revolution in
2 
12 hours.   rad s–1
12  3600 21, 600
iv) Spin angular velocity of earth about its own axis.
2 
  rad s–1.
24  3600 43, 200

5. Angular acceleration  α  :
"The rate of change of angular velocity of a particle is called angular
acceleration”

i) Average angular acceleration  avg  :

  2  1 2 n2  n1 
avg   
t t2  t1 t2  t1
ii) Instantaneous angular acceleration :

   d 
 inst  Lt 
t 0 
 S.I. unit is rad s 2
t  dt
iii) S.I unit: rad/s2 : Dimensional formula is [T–2]
iv) Angular acceleration is a pseudo vector whose direction is in the direction
of change in angular velocity.
v) "When the angular velocity increases, the direction of angular
acceleration is in the direction of angular velocity. When the angular
velocity
decreases, the direction of angular acceleration is in the opposite direction
of angular velocity".
vi) If the particle is moving with constant angular velocity, its angular
acceleration is zero.
vii) Relation between linear (or ) Tangential and angular acceleration:
dv d  r  d d
at    r ; 
dt dt dt d
In vector form   
a =  r
In magnitude, at  r

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6. If a rigid body rotates about a fixed axis, then all the particles will have
i) same angular displacement , angular velocity and angular acceleration
ii) Different linear displacement , linear velocity and linear acceleration.
C
B
A

A0 B0 C0

7. Equations of circular motion and comparison with equations of

translational motion:

(i) With constant a = 0, s = ut a = 0 ,  = t

velocity

(ii) With constant (i) Average velocity (i) Average angular velocity
acceleration
vu 1  2
vav = av =
2 2

(ii) Average acceleration (ii) Average angular

acceleration
v u
aav =
t 2  1
av =
t

1  2
vu (iii)  = av. t = t
(iii) s = vav t = t 2
2
(iv) 2  1   t
(iv) v = u + at

1 2 1 2
(v) s = ut + at (v)  = t + t
2 2

1 2 1 2
(vi) s = vt – at (vi)  = 2t – t
2 2

(vii) v2 = u2 + 2as. (vii) 22 = 12 + 2

1 1
(viii) Sn = u + (2n–1)a (viii) n = 1 + (2n–1)
2 2

displacement in nth sec Angular displacement in

nth sec

(iii) With variable ds (i)  = d/dt

(i) v =
acceleration dt

(ii)  ds =  v dt (ii)  d =   dt

dv dv d d
(iii) a = =v (iii) = = 
dt ds dt d

(iv)  dv =  a dt (iv)  d =   dt

(v)  v dv =  a ds (v)   d =   d

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8. Centripetal Acceleration and tangential acceleration:

at
a
Oa p
c

Centripetal Acceleration:
i) Acceleration acting on the object undergoing uniform circular motion is
called centripetal acceleration.
ii) It always acts on the object along the radius towards the centre of the
circular path.

v22
iii) Magnitude of centripetal acceleration is ac  r   v 
r
Tangential acceleration:
i) The tangential component of acceleration is due to the change in the
magnitude of velocity of the particle tangential acceleration .
ii) Its direction is along tangent.
iii) Magnitude of Tangential acceleration,
dv d rd
at    r    r
dt dt dt
  
iv) In vector form a t    r
v) Tangential acceleration is rate of change of speed not rate of change of
velocity.
d
vi) In accelerated circular motion  positive. ar v
dt at

i.e., tangential acceleration of particle is parallel to velocity v
d 
vii) In decelerated circular motion  negative, 
dt ar

i.e, tangential acceleration is antiparallel to velocity  at

 2 
2

a  a  a     r 
2 2 2
viii) Net acceleration: c  r 
t

at
ix) Direction of the net acceleration: Tan   a here,  is with ac
c

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9.
uniform circular motion Non – Uniform circular motion
i)   constant   variable
ii) speed (v)  constant speed (v)  variable
dv v2 dv v2
iii) at   0 ; ac  at  ; ac 
dt r dt r
at  0; ac  0 at  0; ac  0

 2 
2

a  a  a     r 
v2 2
 ac 
2 2
anet
r
c t
 r 

iv) K.E  constant K.E  variable

magnitude of momentum  constant. momentum  variable
magnitude of velocity  constant velocity  variable
Linear momentum  variable Angular momentum 
Linear velocity  variable variable
Angular momentum w.r.t to
centre does not change

Note : In non-uniform circular motion ,


 dv d   wv
The linear acceleration is a   r
r

dt dt
 
d   dr
 r   
dt dt
    
a r 
    
Here r is the tangential component of acceleration (a t ) and   v is the

radial component (a c ) .
10. Centripetal force :
Centripetal force is the net or unbalanced force required by a body to perform
uniform circular motoion.
The direction of the centripetal force is in the direction of centripetal
acceleration i.e. it is directed along the radius towards the centre.
i) magnitude of centripetal force is given by Fc  mac

mV 2
2
Fc  mr   mV 
r
ii) If K is the kinetic energy of a particle moving in a horizontal circular path
of radius ‘r’, the centripetal force acting on it is
2K
Fc =
r
iii) Power and work done by centripetal force is zero, becacause force is
always perpendicular to velocity vector.

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11. Centrifugal force :
The pseudo force which acts radially outwards on the body moving along a
circle is called centrifugal force.
Centrifugal force is a fictitious force because it is not an actual force
exerted by some object.

mv 2
Fc  mr2   mv
r
12. Tangential force:
i) It is tangential to the circle and is responsible for the tangential
acceleration. Due to this the speed changes. The magnitude of
tangential force
dv
Ft  ma t  m  mr
dt
ii) Power and work done by tangential force is not zero.
P  dw / dt  F t .V
13. i) In Non – Uniform circular motion,
Net force acting on particle is given by

 mv 2 
2

F
Magnitude: net  F  F2
  2
  mr 
2
C
 r 
t

Ft
Direction: Tan   F here angle  is with Fc
c

ii) In Uniform circular motion , Ft  0

Net force acting on particle is given by

Magnitude: Fnet  Fc  mr 2  mV 2 r  mV 

Direction: Towards the centre of circle.

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 Applications:
1. When the moon revolves round the earth performing circular motion the
necessary centripetal force is supplied by the gravitational force of
attraction of the earth on the moon.
Fg  Fc

GMm mv 2
 (or ) mr 2
r2 r

2. The Coulombic force between nucleus and electron provides the necessary
centripetal force for the electron to orbit around the nucleus.
FE  Fc

1 Ze 2 mv 2
 (or ) mr 2
4 0 r 2 r

3. Motion of Charged Particle in Magnetic Field:

When a charged particle enters perpendicularly into a magnetic field B,
with velocity ,then magnetic force (qvB) works in the perpendicular direction
of velocity and it provides required centripetal force
Magnetic force = centripetal force
mv 2
qvB =
r
mv
Radius of the circular path r  qB

4. When a ball at the end of string is rotated about an axis, the required
centripetal force is provided by the tension in the string.
Tension in the string is given by, T = Fc

mv 2
T  mr 2 T
r

5. Tension in strings are

T1  mA rA 2  mB rB 2  mC rC  2

T2  mB rB 2  mC rC 2

T3  mC rC 2

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6. A cylindrical tube of length ‘L’ is completely filled with a liquid of mass m
and closed. The tube is rotated in a horizontal plane about a
vertical axis through one end of tube with a constant angular velocity
‘  ’ .Then the force exerted by the liquid column at one end of the tube is
m
Mass of the element  dx .
L
m
Centriptal force on the element is dF  .dx. x. 2 x dx
L
L m mL 2
Total force acting is  dF  
0 L
.x .d x . 2 
2

7. With what angular speed ‘  ’ must particle ‘m’ rotate with a radius ‘r’ on a
frictionless table so that block ‘ M’ does not move?
For particle(m): V
T
Tension in the string = centripetal force m mr2
T = mr  2 --------(1)
For block(M):
Tension in the string = Weight of the hanging mass M.
Mg
mr  2=Mg --------(2)

Mg
from (1) and (2), angular speed,  
mr

8. Tension in a ring:
A metal ring of mass ‘m’ and radius ‘R’ is placed on a smooth horizontal
table and is set rotating about its own axis in such a way that each part of
the ring moves with a speed ‘v
 /2

2
A F B
F  2T sin    
 2 2 2

If  m is the mass of the element AB , then

T T

m.v 2 
 2T .Sin  
R  2

 
T 
mv 2  sin      ; m  m . R 
  2  2 2 R 

2 R

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9. Rotating table:
A particle of mass m is placed over a rough horizontal circular table rotating
with an angular velocity '  ' about a vertical axis passing through its centre.
i) For uniform circular motion:

condition for no sliding, mr  2  f s
O
g
mr 2   s mg   
r
N
g f
max  O mr2
r ( Pseudo force)
mg
ii) For non uniform circular motion:

mr 2   mr2  s mg
2
condition for no sliding,

10. Conical Pendulum:

A body of mass m tied to a string is whirled in a horizontal circle, but the
string becomes inclined to the vertical and sweeps a cone while body moves
on a horizontal circle with uniform speed 'v' as shown in fig. Such arrangement
is called conical pendulum.
T cos   mg ..... (1);

mv2
T sin   ...... (2)
r

v2
i) tan   (or) V  rg tan 
rg

v g tan 
ii) angular speed ,   
r r

iii) Time period , t  2  2 r

 g tan 

L cos  h ( r  L sin  )
 2  2  FBD: w.r.t particle w.r.t ground
g g

2
 v2  2
iv) Tension developed in the string is T  m g   r 
 
v) At angular velocity 1 , O is at a distance h1 from C. When angular
velocity increases to  2 , O is at a distance h2 from C.

g g  2  2 
h  h1  h 2  2
 2; h  g  22 21 
1 2  1 2 

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11. Particle In a Rotating Bowl:
Suppose the angualr speed of rotation of the bowl is  . The block also
moves with this angular speed.

N sin   mr  2 ------(1) ;
N cos   mg ------ (2)
r 2
From (1) and (2) , Tan 
g

Tan 
 R sin    2
 
g
g R cos 

12. Particle In a Rotating in a cone:

N cos  mg ----------(1)
2
N sin   mv  N
r --------(2)

v2 h
From (1) and (2) , Tan  mg

rg

h v2
  v  gh
r rg

13. A particle of mass ‘m’ is fixed to one end of a light spring of force constant
‘k’ and unstretched length l . The system is rotated about the other end of
the spring with an angular velocity  , in gravity free space.

 
r = (l+x)
l m
m

Elastic force in spring will provides the required centripetal force

k x  m  2r

m  2l
k x  m  2 (l  x)  x 
k  m2

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14. Death well :
Consider a vehicle of mass ‘m’ in a deathwell, moving with a constant speed
‘v’, along the wall in a horizontal plane.

The vehicle can continue without falling,

if f s  mg

 N  mg  f   N 

 mv 2  2
 mg  N  mv 
r  r 

rg gr
Minimum velocity to avoid sliding is, Vmin  (or) min 
 

15. Turning of cyclist on the Road

The verticle component N cos  of normal reaction N will balance the weight
of the cyclist, while the horizontal component N sin  will provide the
necessary centripetal force to the cyclist.

mV 2
N sin   ----(1)
r
N cos  = mg -----(2)

V2
from (1) and (2), tan  
rg

1 V2 
The cyclist should bend through an angle   tan  rg  to get the necessary

centripetal force.
It follows that the angle through which cyclist should bend will be greater, if
i) The radius of the curve is small i.e. the curve is sharper
(ii) The velocity of the cyclist is large.

16. Motion of a vehicle at a turn:

When vehicles go through turnings, they travel along a nearly circular path.
If the vehicles travel in a horizontal circular path, the resultant force is being
provided to the vehicles by following three ways.
1. By friction only
2. By banking of roads only
3. By friction and banking of roads both.
In real life the necessary centripetal force is provided by friction and banking
of roads both.

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17. Motion of a vehicle on an unbanked rough road
Case(i) : Skidding of Vehicle on a Level Road
Frictional force between tyres and road provides necessary centripetal
force.
For safe turning without skidding,
mv 2
 mg 
r
v safe  rg

maximum safe velocity without skiding is vmax   rg

Case(ii): A car is moving in a circular horizontal track of radius r

with a constant speed . A plumb bob is suspended from the
roof of the car by a light rigid rod of length l. Then The angle made by
the rod with vertical is

Tanθ 
 mv /r   v
2 2

mg rg

18. Motion of a vehicle on a banked road :

Case(i): The angle through which the outer edge is raised relative to the
inneredge is called “angle of banking   ”.

mv 2
Ncos  = mg .... (1) ; N sin   .... (2)
r
From (1) and (2),

v2
Banking angle, tan   (or) v  rg tan 
rg

h
From triangle, sin   ---(4)
b
For small angles, sin   tan   

h v2 v 2b
 h
b rg rg

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 mv 2
Case(ii) : If N sin   , The vehicle possesses the tendency to skid up the
r
plane.
The safe maximum speed for avoiding skidding
can be obtained by taking friction acting down the plane.
2
mv
Nsin  + f cos  = max -----(1) (Centrifugal
force)
r N cos  mv 2
N

N cos   f sin   mg ------(2)

r

N sin 
f cos 
f f sin 
 mg

rg  tan   
vmax   f   N 
1  tan  

mv 2
Case(iii) : If N sin   , the vehicle possesses the tendency to slip down
r
N cos 
the plane. N
f sin 
f
The minimum speed for avoiding slippling down N sin 

the plane can be obtained by taking friction mg
f cos 

up the plane .

rg  tan   
vmin 
1   tan  

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