Chapter 9 Uniform Circular Motion

9.1 Introduction to circular motion

A Describing circular motion
1 The motion of an object moving in a circle can be described by the ________________

_______________  and angular velocity . For simplicity, we omit the direction here

and use  to represent the ______________________ as well.

object

radius time taken = t


centre

 = ______________ swept by the radius joining

the centre and the object (in rad)

= (in rad s1)

2 As stated above, the unit of angular displacement is the _______________, written as

rad. It is related to the degree by

2 = (a whole circle)

The unit ‘rad’ is usually omitted when the angle is expressed in terms of .
3 When an object moves in a circle at uniform speed, it performs a _________________

_______________ motion.

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4 When an object travels an angular displacement of  v
along a circular path of radius r at a uniform speed v,

the distance travelled s is given by _______________. r s

Besides,
 v
s r  r
v= = =r
t t t

Therefore, the relationship between the linear speed v

and the ______________ speed  is

v=

5 The period T of a uniform circular motion is the time that the object takes to complete
one revolution.

T= =
v 

Checkpoint 1
Both Anson and Benny run at the same linear speed of Anson
Benny
5m s 1
in circular paths around the same centre. The
radii of Anson’s and Benny’s paths are 18 m and 12 m
respectively.
(a) Find their angular speeds.
(b) Find their periods.
Solution

(a) Apply  = __________.

Angular speed of Anson =

Angular speed of Benny =

2 πr
(b) Apply T = .
v

Period of Anson =

Period of Benny =

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B Centripetal acceleration
1 When an object travels in a circle at a uniform speed, the _______________ of its
velocity is always changing. Therefore, the object has an acceleration.

2 When an object performs uniform circular motion, its acceleration always points

towards the _______________ of the circle and is called the _______________

acceleration.

3 Suppose an object travels in a circle of radius r at a uniform speed v, or at a uniform

angular speed . The magnitude of the centripetal acceleration is given by:

a = ____________ (in terms of v)

or a = ____________ (in terms of )

v
a

Checkpoint 2
A car turns at a junction as shown. It travels a quarter of a
circle of radius 21 m at a uniform speed v in 2.6 s.
(a) Find v.
(b) Find the acceleration of the car when it turns.
Solution
distance travelled
(a) v = =
time taken

(b) Centripetal acceleration =

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 9.2 Centripetal force
A Centripetal force
1 When an object performs uniform circular motion, the net force acting on it points

towards the _______________ of the circular path (same as the acceleration) and is

called the ______________________.

2 By F = ma, the magnitude of the centripetal force is given by:

F = ______________ (in terms of v)

or F = ______________ (in terms of )

3 The net force (centripetal force) acting on an moving

moving F direction
object in uniform circular motion is always
direction
F
_______________ to the movement of the
object. Therefore, the force does no work on
F
the object.
moving
direction

4 Since the centripetal force is the ______________ of all the forces acting on an object,
it should not be drawn in a free-body diagram.

Checkpoint 3
0.8 m s1

O 20 cm

A ball of 0.5 kg is connected to a fixed point O by a string of 20 cm long. It moves in a

circle on a smooth horizontal table with a constant speed 0.8 m s1.
(a) Find the tension T in the string.
(b) If the speed of the ball doubles, how will T change?
Solution

(a) T = centripetal force =

(b) Since T  ________, T will increase / decrease to ____________.

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Experiment: Verifying equation of centripetal force
 Measure the mass m of a rubber bung and L
glass tube
the mass of some screw nuts. Construct
the centripetal force apparatus as shown. nylon string
rubber bung
 Set the length L of the nylon string paper marker

between the rubber bung and glass tube to

a certain value using the paper marker.
screw nuts
 Hold the glass tube vertically and whirl
the rubber bung so that the paper marker
stays just ______________ the tube.
 Measure the angular speed .
 Repeat steps  with different lengths L.

Checkpoint 4
The above experiment is carried out to verify the equation T = m2L where T is the tension
in the string.
(a) By considering the centripetal force acting on the rubber bung, show that T = m2L.
(b) How is the tension T measured in the experiment?
Solution
(a)

glass tube  L

T
r rubber bung

As shown in the figure,

sin  =

The horizontal component of T provides the centripetal force.

T sin  = mr2

(b) As the paper marker stays at a fixed position, the screw nuts can be regarded as
_______________, i.e. the net force acting on the screw nuts is _______________.
Therefore, T is equal to the ______________________________________.

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5 Suppose the centripetal force disappears suddenly when an object performs uniform
circular motion on a smooth horizontal surface. According to Newton’s

_______________ law, the object will continue to move along a _______________

path tangential to the circle.

 The string breaks suddenly.

 The tension in the

 No unbalanced forces act string provides the

on the ball. centripetal force.

B Daily examples of uniform circular motion

1 The centripetal force can be provided by different kinds of forces.

Objects Free-body diagram Force(s) providing the

centripetal force

(a) Car making a turn on a level road

normal reaction

friction weight

(b) Aeroplane making a turn the ________________

lifting force
component of lifting
force

weight

(c) Rider in a rotor

friction

normal reaction
by the wall

weight

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Checkpoint 5
A car of mass 1000 kg turns a corner of radius r at 60 km h1 on a level road. The maximum
friction between the car’s tyres and the road is 9000 N. Find the limitation of the value of r.
Solution
The _______________ f provides the centripetal force.

f=

r=
Since f has a maximum value of 9000 N,

_______________ value of r =

Checkpoint 6
An aeroplane of mass 3.6  106 kg is about to make a turn horizontally. It tilts so that the
lifting force makes an angle  to the vertical. If the radius of curvature of the turn is 2400 m
and the speed of the aeroplane is 280 km h1, what should  be?
Solution
The free-body diagram of the aeroplane is as shown.

lifting force L

weight mg

Consider the vertical direction.

………(1)

Consider the horizontal direction.

………(2)

(2)  (1):

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Checkpoint 7

rotor

4 rad s1

man

2m

In an amusement park, a rotor rotates at 4 rad s1. A man in the rotor can stick to the wall
without falling. The radius of the rotor is 2 m and the mass of the man is 65 kg.
(a) Find the normal reaction R acting on the man by the wall.
(b) Find the friction f acting on the man by the wall.
(c) The friction f has a maximum value of 0.6R. If the rotor rotates at 2.5 rad s1, will the
man fall from the wall?

Solution
The free-body diagram of the man is as shown.

(a) R = centripetal force =

(b) f =

(c) fmax = 0.6R =

 fmax ________ mg

 The man will / will not fall from the wall.

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2 Consider a car turning on a banked road.

(a) If the road is ideally-banked, the centripetal force is only provided by the

horizontal component of the _______________________ (N) on the car.

(b) In non-ideal cases, a _______________ (f ) acts on the car sideways. The

_______________ components of N and f add up to provide the centripetal force.

Complete the following table. Label all forces acting on the car in each figure.

(i) Horizontal component of N

N
= centripetal force

 No friction

mg

(ii) Horizontal component of N

 centripetal force required
The car tends to slide inwards / outwards.

 Friction points inwards / outwards.

(iii) Horizontal component of N

 centripetal force required
The car tends to slid inwards / outwards.

 Friction points inwards / outwards.

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Checkpoint 8
A car of mass 1000 kg turns a corner. The radius of curvature of the corner is 400 m and the
road is banked at 8.
(a) Assume the car turns the corner without friction acting on it.
(i) Find the normal reaction acting on the car by the road.
(ii) Find the speed of the car.
(b) Assume the car turns the corner at 20 m s1 without skidding. There is a friction f
acting sideways on the car.
(i) Does the friction f point inwards or outwards of the corner?
(ii) Write two equations that relate the normal reaction N and the friction f.
Solution
(a) The free-body diagram of the car is as shown. N

(i) Consider the vertical direction.

mg
8
 The normal reaction is ______________.
(ii) The horizontal component of N provides the
centripetal force.

 The speed of the car is ______________.

(b) (i) As the speed is _______________ than that in (a)(ii), a _______________
centripetal force is required. Therefore, the friction points _______________.
(ii) The free-body diagram of the car is as shown.
Consider the vertical direction.

Consider the horizontal direction.

8

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