Chapter 5

Circular Motion
 Circular Motion
• Uniform Circular Motion
• Radial Acceleration
• Banked and Unbanked Curves
• Circular Orbits
• Nonuniform Circular Motion
• Tangential and Angular Acceleration
• Artificial Gravity

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 2

 Angular Displacement
y

f  is the angular position.

 i Angular displacement:
x    f   i

Note: angles measured CW are negative and angles measured

CCW are positive.  is measured in radians.

2 radians = 360 = 1 revolution

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 3
 Arc Length
y
arc length = s = r
f
r

 i

s  is a ratio of two lengths; it is

 
r a dimensionless ratio!
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 4
 Angular Speed
The average and instantaneous angular velocities are:

 
av  and   lim
t t 0 t

 is measured in rads/sec.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 5

 Angular Speed
y
An object moves along a
f circular path of radius r; what
is its average speed?
r i

x

total distance r   

vav    r   r av
total time t  t 

Also, v  r (instantaneous values).

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 6
 Period and Frequency
The time it takes to go one time around a closed path is
called the period (T).
total distance 2r
vav  
total time T

2
Comparing to v = r:    2f
T

f is called the frequency, the number of revolutions (or

cycles) per second.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 7

 Centripetal Acceleration
Consider an object moving
y
in a circular path of radius r
at constant speed. v

Here, v  0. The v
direction of v is changing.
x
If v  0, then a  0. v
Then there is a net force
acting on the object.
v

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 8

 Centripetal Acceleration

Conclusion: with no net force acting on the object it would

travel in a straight line at constant speed

It is still true that F = ma.

But what acceleration do we use?

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 9

 Centripetal Acceleration
The velocity of a particle is tangent to its path.

For an object moving in uniform circular motion, the

acceleration is radially inward.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 10

 Centripetal Acceleration

The magnitude of the radial acceleration is:

2
v
ar   r  v
2

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 11

 Rotor Ride Example
The rotor is an amusement park ride where people stand
against the inside of a cylinder. Once the cylinder is spinning
fast enough, the floor drops out.
(a) What force keeps the people from y
falling out the bottom of the cylinder?
fs

N
Draw an FBD for a person x
with their back to the wall:

It is the force of static friction.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 12
 Rotor Ride Example
(b) If s = 0.40 and the cylinder has r = 2.5 m, what is the
minimum angular speed of the cylinder so that the people
don’t fall out?
1  Fx  N  mar  m 2 r
Apply Newton’s 2nd Law:
2  Fy  f s  w  0

From (2): fs  w From (1)

 s N   s m 2 r   mg
g 9.8 m/s 2
   3.13 rad/s
s r 0.402.5 m 
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 13
 Unbanked Curve
A coin is placed on a record that is rotating at 33.3 rpm. If s
= 0.1, how far from the center of the record can the coin be
placed without having it slip off?
y
We’re looking for r.
N
Draw an FBD for the coin:
fs
x
Apply Newton’s 2nd Law:

1  Fx  f s  mar  m 2 r w
2  Fy  N  w  0

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 14

 Unbanked Curve
From (2)
From 1 : f s  m 2 r
f s   s N   s mg   m 2 r

s g
Solving for r: r  2 What is ?

rev  2 rad  1 min 
  33.3     3.5 rad/s
min  1 rev  60 sec 

 s g 0.19.8 m/s 2 
r 2   0.08 m
 3.50 rad/s2

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 15

 Banked Curves
A highway curve has a radius of 825 m. At what angle
should the road be banked so that a car traveling at 26.8
m/s has no tendency to skid sideways on the road? (Hint:
No tendency to skid means the frictional force is zero.)

Take the car’s motion

to be into the page.


MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 16

 Banked Curves
y

FBD for the car: N



Apply Newton’s Second Law:

v2
1  Fx  N sin   mar  m
r
2  Fy  N cos   w  0
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 17
 Banked Curves
v2
1 N sin   m
Rewrite (1) and (2): r
2 N cos   mg

Divide (1) by (2):

tan  
v2

26.8 m/s 
 0.089
2


gr 9.8 m/s 825 m 
2

  5.1

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 18

 Circular Orbits

Consider an object of mass m in a

r circular orbit about the Earth.

Earth
The only force on the satellite is the force
of gravity:
Gms M e v2
 F  Fg  r 2  ms ar  ms r
Gms M e v2
2
 ms
r r
Solve for the speed of the satellite:
GM e
v
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10
r 19
 Circular Orbits
Example: How high above the surface of the Earth does a
satellite need to be so that it has an orbit period of 24 hours?
GM e 2r
From previous slide: v Also need, v
r T
1
 GM e 2  3
Combine these expressions and solve for r: r  T 
 4
2


  
1
 6.67  10 Nm /kg 5.98 10 kg
11 2 2
2
24 3
r   86400 s  
 4 2

 4.225  107 m

r  Re  h  h  r  Re  35,000 km
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 20
 Circular Orbits
Kepler’s Third Law
1
 GM e 2  3
r  T 
 4
2

1
 GM 2  3
It can be generalized to: r   2 T 
 4 

Where M is the mass of the central body. For example, it

would be Msun if speaking of the planets in the solar system.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 21

 Nonuniform Circular Motion
Nonuniform means the speed (magnitude of velocity)
is changing.

at
a
ar There is now an acceleration
tangent to the path of the particle.

2 2
The net acceleration of the body is a  ar  at
This is true but useless!
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 22
 Nonuniform Circular Motion
at
a
at changes the magnitude of v.
ar
Changes energy - does work

ar changes the direction of v.

Doesn’t change energy -
does NO WORK

Can write:
 Fr  mar The accelerations are only
useful when separated into
 F  ma
t t
perpendicualr and parallel
components.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 23

 Loop Ride
Example: What is the minimum speed for the car so that it
maintains contact with the loop when it is in the pictured
position?

FBD for the car at

r
the top of the loop:
y

Apply Newton’s 2nd Law:

v2
x
 Fy   N  w  mar  m r
v2
N w N wm
r
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 24
 Loop Ride
v2
N wm
The apparent weight at the top of loop is: r
 v2 
N  m  g 
 r 

 v2 
N  m  g   0
N = 0 when  r 
v  gr

This is the minimum speed needed to make it around the

loop.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 25

 Loop Ride
Consider the car at the bottom of the loop; how does the
apparent weight compare to the true weight?

FBD for the car at the Apply Newton’s 2nd Law:

bottom of the loop:
v2
y  Fy  N  w  mac  m r
N
v2
N wm
r
 v2 
x N  m  g 
w  r 

Here, N  mg
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 26
 Linear and Angular Acceleration

The average and instantaneous angular acceleration are:

 
 av  and   lim
t t 0 t

 is measured in rads/sec2.

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 27

 Linear and Angular Acceleration

Recalling that the tangential velocity is vt = r means the

tangential acceleration is

vt 
at 
t t
r
t
 r

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 28

 Linear and Angular Kinematics
Linear (Tangential) Angular

v  v0  at   0  t
1 1
x  x0  v0 t  at 2
   0  0 t  t 2

2 2
v 2  v02  2ax  2  02  2

With vt  r and at  r

“a” and “at” are the same thing

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 29
 Dental Drill Example
A high speed dental drill is rotating at 3.14104 rads/sec.
Through how many degrees does the drill rotate in 1.00 sec?

Given:  = 3.14104 rads/sec; t = 1 sec;  = 0

Want .

1
   0  0 t  t 2
2
   0  0 t
  0 t  3.14 10 4 rads/sec1.0 sec
 3.14 10 4 rads  1.80 106 degrees
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 30
 Car Example
Your car’s wheels are 65 cm in diameter and are rotating at
 = 101 rads/sec. How fast in km/hour is the car traveling,
assuming no slipping?

X
total distance 2r N 2r
v    r
total time T N T
 101 rads/sec32.5 cm 
 3.28  103 cm/sec  118 km/hr
MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 31
 Artificial Gravity

A large rotating cylinder in

deep space (g0).

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 32

 Artificial Gravity
FBD for the person
y y
N

x
x

N
Bottom position Top position

Apply Newton’s 2nd Law to each:

 y
F  N  ma r  m 2
r  y
F   N   ma r   m 2
r

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 33

 Space Station Example
A space station is shaped like a ring and rotates to simulate
gravity. If the radius of the space station is 120m, at what
frequency must it rotate so that it simulates Earth’s gravity?

Using the result from the previous slide:

 y
F  N  ma r  m 2
r
N mg g
    0.28 rad/sec
mr mr r

The frequency is f = (/2) = 0.045 Hz (or 2.7 rpm).

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 34

 Summary
• A net force MUST act on an object that has circular
motion.
• Radial Acceleration ar=v2/r
• Definition of Angular Quantities (, , and )
• The Angular Kinematic Equations
• The Relationships Between Linear and Angular
Quantities vt  r and at  r
• Uniform and Nonuniform Circular Motion

MFMcGraw Ch5-Circular Motion-Revised 2/15/10 35