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Circular Motion. What is circular motion?. Objects that move in a circle experience circular motion. I know that’s tough. Let’s take a moment and let it sink in…. Now that that is out of the way….
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What is circular motion? • Objects that move in a circle experience circular motion. • I know that’s tough. • Let’s take a moment and let it sink in…
Now that that is out of the way… • There are specific features of circular motion that make it different from linear or projectile motion
Constant speed • An object with a constant speed, which experiences no other forces, will travel in a straight line at that speed infinitely • Newton’s First Law
Constant speed • Objects can travel in a circle and maintain a constant speed
Is velocity constant? • No • Velocity is speed in a given direction • Those directions cannot be circular
What is acceleration? • Acceleration is a change in velocity • We have so far defined acceleration as a change in speed but it can be a change in direction, also
Circular Motion • An object traveling in a circle travels at a constant speed but is accelerating
What causes acceleration? • All changes in velocity are caused by a force • F = ma • Newton’s Second Law
What is the force? • The force keeping the object in its circular path is called a centripetal force • Centripetal means “center seeking”
Centripetal force • It is a real force • It is a contact force
What direction does it point? • The centripetal force always points towards the center of the circle
What applies the force? • It depends on the situation • In general, whatever keeps the item in it’s circular path applies the centripetal force
Are there other forces? • When you make a turn in your car, what makes you pull to one side? • When you swing a bucket of water above your head, what keeps the water in the bucket?
What causes that? • In truth, it is a delicate interplay between the inertia of the item and the acceleration • It is another force
Centrifugal force • From the Latin, centrum, “center,”and fugere, “fleeing” • This is the force that pushes away from the center of the circle
Centrifugal Force • It is the reaction force that compliments the action of the centripetal force • Newton’s Third Law
Centrifugal • The centrifugal force is a fictitious force • Is it also a contact force
Example • You have a bucket of water and you are swinging it around above you head. What forces are acting on it and what do they act on?
The two forces • Remember, we have two forces, the centripetal and the centrifugal • The centripetal acts on the bucket • The centrifugal acts on the water
The math • You knew it was coming • Math is the language of physics and you need to learn to speak that language
Centripetal acceleration • There are two equations we can use depending on what we know
The first (and easiest) • v is the velocity of the object • r is the radius of the circle
The second • T is the time it takes for one full revolution • r is the radius of the circle
Centrifugal acceleration • If the centrifugal force arises from Newton’s Third Law and is the equal but opposite reaction to the centripetal force, what is the equation going to be?
Sample problem • A 1000 kg car enters an 80 meter radius curve at 20 m/s. What centripetal force must be supplied by friction so the car does not skid?
What do we know? • m = 1000 kg • r = 80 m • v = 20 m/s
Find the force • F = ma = mv2/r • F = 1000 × (202/80) • F = 1000 × 400/80 • F = 1000 × 5 = 5000 N
Sample problem • The centripetal force on a 0.82 kg object on the end of a 2.0 m massless string being swung in a horizontal circle is 4.0 N. What is the tangential velocity of the object?
What do we know? • m = 0.82 kg • r = 2.0 m • Fc = 4.0 N
Find the velocity • F = ma = mv2/r • 4.0 = 0.82 × v2/2.0 • 8.0 = 0.82v2 • v2 = 9.76 • v = 3.12 m/s
Sample problem • A dragonfly is sitting on a merry-go-round 2.8 m from the center. If the centripetal acceleration of the dragonfly is 3.6 m/s2, what is the period of the merry-go-round?
What do we know? • r = 2.8 m • a = 3.6 m/s2
Find the period • ac = (4π2r)/T2 • 3.6 = (4π2 × 2.8)/T2 • 3.6 = 110/T2 • T2 = 31 • T = 5.5 s
Sample problem • A car moving at a 1.08 × 108 m/s (30 km/h) rounds a bend in the road with a radius of 21.2 m. What is the centripetal acceleration on the car and the centrifugal acceleration on the occupants?
What do we know? • v = 1.08 × 108 m/s • r = 21.2 m
Centripetal • a = v2/r • a = (1.08 × 108)2 / 21.2 • a = 5.50 × 1014 m/s2
Centrifugal • a = -v2/r • a = -(1.08 × 108)2 / 21.2 • a = -5.50 × 1014 m/s2