Chapter 5

Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion

Physics 201
General Science - Deanship of Support Studies Dept.

Lecturer: Amnah
5.1 Uniform Circular Motion
Definition of Uniform Circular Motion
Uniform circular motion is the motion of an object traveling at
a constant speed on a circular path.

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5.1 Uniform Circular Motion

As an example of uniform circular

motion, Figure shows a model
airplane on a guideline.

The speed is constant. Hence, the

vectors in the drawing have the
same magnitude at all points on
the circle.

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5.1 Uniform Circular Motion
The uniform circular motion can
be describe by specifying the
period of the motion (T)

The period of the motion (T )

the amount of time an object
takes to complete one full cycle.
That is, to make one complete
revolution.

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The period of the motion (T )
1
𝑇=
𝑓
Where, 𝑓 is the frequency which is the amount of repetition cycle complete in 1
second.
𝑓 unit is Hertz (Hz),  1 Hz = 1 revolutions per second

What is the different between T and 𝒇 ?

T 𝑓
Measure in second (s) Measure in Hz
How many times for an event How many time the object
to repeat once goes around the cycle in one
second
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Example: the different between T & 𝑓:
If you’re going around a circular path
and it takes you 4s to go around the path
altogether.

Then,
T=4s
𝑓 = 14 Hz  mean the circular is being
covered at ¼th rotations per second

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 Tangential Velocity

Where,
2πr  is the circumference of the circle
v  is the speed
r  is the radius of the circular path. Measure
in m
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Tangential Velocity
1
As 𝑇 = then,
𝑓

Copyright ©2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 9

Example 1: A Tire-Balancing Machine
The wheel of a car has a radius of 0.29m and it being rotated at 830
revolutions per minute on a tire-balancing machine. Determine the
speed at which the outer edge of the wheel is moving.

1 1
𝑇= =  1.2  10 3 min revolution
𝑓 830revolutions min

T  1.2  10 3 min  0.072 s

2 r 2  0.29 m 
v   25m s
T 0.072 s
Copyright ©2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 10
 Angular Velocity

If the objects goes all the way around the circle it covers radians in that time.
Hence,

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5.2 Centripetal Acceleration
In uniform circular motion, the speed is constant, but the
direction of the velocity vector is not constant.

when a body travels on a circular path, the direction constantly

changes and thus its velocity changes, producing an acceleration.

Copyright ©2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 12

5.2 Centripetal Acceleration

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration of a body

traversing a circular path.

The direction of the centripetal

acceleration is towards the center of the
circle; in the same direction as the change
in velocity.

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5.2 Centripetal Acceleration
Example 3: The Physics of a Bobsled Track
The bobsled track contains
turns with radii of 33 m and
24 m. Find the centripetal
acceleration at each turn for
a speed of 34 m/s. Express
answers as multiples of
g  9.8m s 2 .

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5.2 Centripetal Acceleration
Answer:
(a) At radius = 33 m
v2
ac 
r
(34 𝑚/𝑠)2
𝑎𝑐 = 33𝑚
= 35.03 𝑚/𝑠 2
Acceleration is sometimes expressed in multiples of g, where
𝑔 = 9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2 is the acceleration due to the earth's gravity.
𝑔
𝑎𝑐 = 𝑎 ×
𝑔

Hence, the answer as multiples of g is

𝑚
35.03 ×𝑔
𝑎𝑐 = 𝑠2 = 3.75 𝑔
9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
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(b) At radius = 24 m
(34 𝑚/𝑠)2
𝑎𝑐 = 24 𝑚
= 48.166 𝑚/𝑠 2

The answer as multiples of g is

𝑚
48.166 ×𝑔
𝑎𝑐 = 𝑠2 = 4.91 𝑔
9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2

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5.3 Centripetal Force
Recall Newton’s Second Law
When a net external force acts on an object of mass m, the
acceleration that results is directly proportional to the net force and
has a magnitude that is inversely proportional to the mass. The
direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of the net
force.

a  F
m

 F  ma
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5.3 Centripetal Force
Thus, in uniform circular motion there must be a net force
to produce the centripetal acceleration.

The centripetal force is the name given to the net force

required to keep an object moving on a circular path.

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5.3 Centripetal Force
The direction of the centripetal force always points toward
the center of the circle and continually changes direction
as the object moves.

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5.3 Centripetal Force
Example 5: The Effect of Speed on Centripetal Force
The model airplane has a mass of 0.90 kg and moves at constant speed on a circle that is
parallel to the ground. The path of the airplane and the guideline lie in the same horizontal
plane because the weight of the plane is balanced by the lift generated by its wings. Find
the tension force in the 17 m guideline for a speed of 19 m/s and 38 m/s.

Answer:
(a) For a speed of 19 m/s
𝑣2
𝐹𝑐 = 𝐹𝑇 = 𝑚
𝑟

𝑚 2
19
𝐹𝑇 = 0.90 𝑘𝑔 𝑠 = 19.11 𝑁
17 𝑚

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5.3 Centripetal Force
(b) For a speed of 38 m/s

𝑚 2
38
𝐹𝑇 = 0.90 𝑘𝑔 𝑠 = 76.44 𝑁
17 𝑚

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5.3 Centripetal Force
When a car moves at a steady speed around an
unbanked curve, static friction between the road
and the tires provides the centripetal force to
keep the car on the road.

As Figure indicates. It is static friction, rather than

kinetic friction, because the tires are not slipping
with respect to the radial direction.

If the static frictional force is insufficient, given

the speed and the radius of the turn, the car will
skid off the road.

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5.4 Banked Curves
When a car travels around a frictionless banked curve with radius of r. The
centripetal force to keep the car on the road is the normal force 𝐹𝑁 .
 As the roadbed makes an angle θ with car, the 𝐹𝑁 has horizontal and vertical
components.

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 5.4 Banked Curves
The horizontal component of 𝐹𝑁

v2
Fc  FN sin   m
r

The vertical component of the 𝐹𝑁 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  mg

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5.4 Banked Curves

tan 𝜃 =

Hence,

v2
tan  
rg

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5.4 Banked Curves
Example 8: The Physics of the Daytona International
Speedway
The turns at the Daytona International Speedway have a
maximum radius of 316 m and are steeply banked at 31 degrees.
Suppose these turns were frictionless. At what speed would the
cars have to travel around them in order to remain on the track?

v2
tan   v  rg tan 
rg

= 43.13 𝑚/𝑠

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5.5 Satellites in Circular Orbits

Today there are many satellites in orbit

about the earth. The ones in circular
orbits are examples of uniform circular
motion.

How can we calculate the speed of the

satellites?

There is only one speed that a satellite

can have if the satellite is to remain in
an orbit with a fixed radius.
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5.5 Satellites in Circular Orbits
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,

we have
mM E v2
Fc  G 2  m
r r

Hence, the speed υ of the satellite is:

GM E
v
r

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5.5 Satellites in Circular Orbits

GM E
v
r
Where,
G  is the universal gravitational constant
𝑀𝐸  is the mass of the earth
r  is the distance from the center of the earth to the
satellite.

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5.5 Satellites in Circular Orbits
Example 9: The Physics of the Hubble Space Telescope
Determine the speed of the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting at a
height of 598 km above the earth’s surface.

Solution: the orbit speed is

v 
 6.67  10 11 N  m 2
kg 2  5.98  10 24 kg 
6.38  10 6 m  598  10 3m
 7.56  10 3 m s 16900mi h 

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5.6 Apparent Weightlessness and Artificial
Gravity

Conceptual Example 12: The Physics of Apparent Weightlessness

In each case, what is the weight recorded by the scale?

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5.6 Apparent Weightlessness and Artificial
Gravity
Example 13: Artificial Gravity
At what speed must the surface of the space station move so that the
astronaut experiences a push on his feet equal to his weight on earth? The
radius is 1700 m.
v2
Fc  m  mg
r

𝑣= 𝑚𝑔

𝑚
𝑉= 1700 𝑚 9.8 = 16.66 = 4.08 𝑚/𝑠
𝑠2

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