Circular Motion: Angular Variables

• Arc Length:
The arc length s is related to the angle  (in radians = rad)
as follows: s

s  r r
(360o = 2 rad)

• Angular Displacement and Angular Velocity:

   f   i  d
  lim 
t 0 t dt (radians/second)

• Tangential Velocity and Angular Velocity:

 ds
vt  vt   r vt  r Tangential
Velocity
dt
• Period and Frequency (constant ):
2r 2 1
C  2r  vtT T  f 
vt  T (revolutions/second)
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 Circular Motion: Radial Acceleration

• Radial (centripetal) Acceleration:

Centripetal acceleration = “toward the center” Radial

vt  (vt  )rˆ
Acceleration

 r̂
 vt 
aradial  lim  (vt )rˆ  (vt )rˆ  (r 2 )rˆ
t 0 t t
2
 v Magnitude = (vt)2/r
 aradial  r 2 
t
aradial
r Direction = toward the center of the circle

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 Example Problem
• A puck of mass m slides in a circle of
radius r = 0.5 m on a frictionless table
while attached to a hanging cylinder of
mass M = 2m by a cord through a hole in
the table. What speed of the mass m keeps
the cylinder at rest? Mgr
Answer: v  3.13m / s
Solution: m
FT  Mg  0
v2
FT  maradial m
r FT
v2 Mgr 2mgr FT
m  Mg v   2 gr
r m m
Mg
 2(9.8m / s 2 )(0.5m)  3.13m / s
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 Example: Conical Pendulum
• A stone of mass m is connected
to a cord with length L and
negligible mass. The stone is
undergoing uniform circular
motion in the horizontal plane. If
the cord makes an angle  with
the vertical direction, what is the
period of the circular motion?
x-component:
T sin   ma x  maradial  mr 2
y-component: T cos   mg  ma y  0

r 2 ( L sin  ) 2 g 2 L cos 
tan     Tperiod   2
g g L cos   g

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 Exam 1 Spring 2012: Problem 20
• A conical pendulum is constructed from a stone

of mass M connected to a cord with length L and L
negligible mass. The stone is undergoing
uniform circular motion in the horizontal plane
as shown in the figure. If the cord makes an M

angle  = 30o with the vertical direction and the

period of the circular motion is 4 s, what is the y-axis 
length L of the cord (in meters)? tan   4 R L
2

Answer: 4.59 2R gT 2 FT

T 
% Right: 34%
v gT 2 tan 
R x-axis
FT cos   Mg  0 4 2 R 2 4 2 R
v2 v 
2
R Mg
FT sin   Max  M T2 L
R R sin 
v 2 sin  
tan   L gT 2 (9.8m / s 2 )(4s ) 2
Rg L   4.59m
4 cos 
2
4 cos(30 )
2 

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 Example Problem: Unbanked Curves
• A car of mass M is traveling in a circle
with radius R on a flat highway with vtangential
aradial
speed v. If the static coefficient of
R
friction between the tires and the road is
s, what is the maximum speed of the car
y-axis
such that it will not slide? 2
v N
x-component: f s  Ma x  Maradial M
R R
y-component: N  Mg  Ma y  0
x-axis fs
fs   s N
R R R
v 2
max  ( f s ) max  (s N )  (  s Mg )   s gR
M M M
vmax   s gR
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 Exam 2 Spring 2011: Problem 4
• Near the surface of the Earth, a car is traveling at a
constant speed v around a flat circular race track with a
radius of 50 m. If the coefficients of kinetic and static
friction between the car’s tires and the road are k = 0.1,
s = 0.4, respectively, what is the maximum speed the car
can travel without slipping? 2 y-axis
v
Answer: 14 m/s f s  Ma x  Maradial M FN
% Right: 74% R
FN  Mg  Ma y  0 R
fs   s FN x-axis fs
R R R
v 2
max  ( f s ) max  (  s FN )  (  s Mg )   s gR
M M M

vmax   s gR  (0.4)(9.8m / s 2 )(50m)  14m / s

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 Example Problem: Banked Curves
• If the car in the previous problem is
traveling on a banked road (angle ),
what is the maximum speed of the car
such that it will not slide?
x-component:
v2
f s cos   N sin   Maradial M
R
y-component:N cos   f s sin   Mg  Ma y  0
Mg
N ( f s ) max   s N
cos    s sin 
R R   Mg
v   ( f s ) max cos  N sin   
2
max (  s cos  sin  ) N
M M
(  cos  sin  ) (   tan  ) Rg (  s  tan  )
 Rg s  Rg s vmax 
(cos   s sin  ) (1   s tan  ) (1   s tan  )
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 Rolling Without Slipping:
Rotation & Translation
• If a cylinder of radius R rolls without
slipping along the x-axis then: v


x  s  r s
R
x-axis
x

dx d
v R  R
dt dt
Translational Rotational
Speed Speed

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