Summary

To move an object in a circle there must be a resultant force on it, towards the centre of the circle.
. m v2
This is called the centripetal force: F = -r-or F m r w2 =
An object moving at steady speed in a circle is accelerating because its direction keeps changing.
v2
This centripetal acceleration, a, is towards the centre of the circle a = - or a = r W2
r

Angles in circular motion are measured in radians (21T radians = 360°; 1 radian = 57°) .
(]
Angular speed (J) is the angle turned through per second: (J) =-
t
Angular speed (J) and linear speed v are linked by the equation : v = r w

Frequency f is the number of rotations per second (in Hz). Time period T is the time taken for one rotation.
21T 1 1
w =
21TJ W T = T J=7 T =

Questions
1. Can you complete these sentences?
a) An object cann ot move in a circle unless there is
a resultant force acting ....... the centre of the
circle. This is called a ...... . force.
If this force is removed, the object will continue
moving in a ... ... . line, because of Newton's
....... law.
b} The centripeta l force causes a centripetal .. .. .. .
The bigger the linear .. ..... (in m S- 1) and the smaller
the ... .. .. of the circle, the bigger the a cceleration.
c) The number of rotations in one second is known
as the .. ..... This is measured in ...... .
The time for one rotation is called the ... .. ..
d) One revolution is 360° or .. .. ... radians.
7 . When a CD rotates at an angular speed of
10.5 rad s-l, how long does one revolution take?
8 . A car of mass 800 kg moves in a circle of radius
30 m at a speed of 8.0 m s-l. Calculate:
a) its centripetal acceleration,
b) the centripetal force acting .
9.
to centre
--orcircle

2. Convert these angles into radians: The diagram shows the forces on a car on a banked
360°, 180°, 90°, 45°, 30°, 1°. track. What is the resultant centripetal force?

3. Convert these angles into degrees:
21T rad, 1T/2 rad, 1T/3 rad, 1 rad.
4. A car wheel turns through 6 radians in 0.2 seconds.
What is its angular speed?
10. The Earth takes one year to orbit the Sun along a
path of radius 1.5 X 1011 m. Calculate:
a) the frequency of the Earth's orbit,
b) the Earth's angular speed.
c) At what linear speed is the Earth moving?

5. A spin dryer whirls clothes at an angular speed 11 . A pilot has a weight of 800 N. He flies his plane
of 85 rad s-l. The drum has a radius of 0.20 m. at 60 m s-l in a vertical circle of radius 100 m.
Calculate the speed of the clothes. a) Calculate the centripetal force on the pilot.
b} Draw a diagram to show the two forces on the
6. Complete this table: pilot at O} the top and (ii) the bottom of the loop.
Period Frequency Angular speed c) What is the contact force of the seat on the pilot
(5) (rad 5-1) at 0) the top and (ii) the bottom of the loop?
I
I
(Hz)
I
I d) Express your answers to (c) as multiples of the
25
4.2
pilot's weight.
-L
I 12 Further questions on page 109.
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