Circular motion Definition and 1000 Threads

In physics, circular motion is a movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path. It can be uniform, with constant angular rate of rotation and constant speed, or non-uniform with a changing rate of rotation. The rotation around a fixed axis of a three-dimensional body involves circular motion of its parts. The equations of motion describe the movement of the center of mass of a body. In circular motion, the distance between the body and a fixed point on the surface remains the same.
Examples of circular motion include: an artificial satellite orbiting the Earth at a constant height, a ceiling fan's blades rotating around a hub, a stone which is tied to a rope and is being swung in circles, a car turning through a curve in a race track, an electron moving perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field, and a gear turning inside a mechanism.
Since the object's velocity vector is constantly changing direction, the moving object is undergoing acceleration by a centripetal force in the direction of the center of rotation. Without this acceleration, the object would move in a straight line, according to Newton's laws of motion.

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  1. S

    Period of Planets orbiting a Star

    Homework Statement Planet 1 orbits Star 1 and Planet 2 orbits Star 2 in circular orbits of the same radius. However, the orbital period of Planet 1 is longer than the orbital period of Planet 2. What could explain this? A) Star 1 has less mass than Star2. B) Star 1 has more mass than Star 2 C)...
  2. moenste

    Mechanics. Circular motion and rotation

    Homework Statement An aeroplane loops the loop in a vertical circle of radius 200 m, with a speed of 40 m s^-1 at the top of the loop. The pilot has a mass of 80 kg. What is the tention in the strap holding him into his seat when he is at the top of the loop? Answer: 160 N. Homework...
  3. T

    Help on circular motion problem

    Homework Statement A ball of mass m is attached to a rigid vertical rod by means of two massless strings each a length L. Both strings are attached on the rod a vertical distance D apart. The rod, strings, and ball are rotated at some speed and both strings are taught. If the tension in the...
  4. H

    Exploring Circular Motion: Understanding the Behavior of a Conical Pendulum

    Such as the figure Why the string could not be horizontal when the rubber bungis moving in a horizontal circle? Only moving at conical pendulum? By the way, if tension is equal to weight(W), have any conclusion?
  5. Dustin11H3

    Need animation/video to convey rotational speeds

    Hello Everyone, I need an animation or video or something that will convey different speeds of different sized circles. Ideally, I would like some type of tire setup that shows a smaller circle driven at the same speed rotating more quickly than a larger circle. I am using this for an...
  6. S

    Uniform Circular Motion and Projectile All-in-One

    Homework Statement \[/B] Joey spins a laptop then he releases it, at an angle. Assuming no wind resistance, the laptop (has a rubberized case) hits the concrete and drags across the concrete for 5.3 seconds. What is the coefficient of friction between the rubber and concrete and what distance...
  7. 0

    Why is there a force pointing towards the center of a circular trajectory?

    Homework Statement Explain why in circular motion there is a force pointing to the center of the trajectory. Use the momentum principle. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution So I choose two arbitrary points in the circular path and know that momentum and velocity are tangent to the...
  8. Calpalned

    Determine work in circular motion

    Homework Statement An object, moving along the circumference of a circle with radius ##R##, is acted upon by a force of constant magnitude F. The force is directed at all times at a ## 30 \degrees ## angle with respect to the tangent to the circle. Determine the work done by this force when...
  9. Dustin11H3

    Angle/Coordinate Calculation for two "Pulley" System

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  10. C

    MHB How Does Angular Velocity Affect a Block on a Rotating Wedge?

    Hi there, I've come across the following question and drawn a free body diagram: A wedge with face inclined at an angle θ to the horizontal is fixed to a rotating turntable. A block of mass m rests on the inclined plane and the coefficient of static friction between the block and the wedge is...
  11. A

    Uniform Circular Motion Background theory?

    Hi Guys, new poster here. I am currently doing a practical report on Uniform Circular Motion, where we had to swing a rubber stopper around attached to a length of string and mass. I have to do a write up, including the background theory. I have searched everywhere but I have found no clear...
  12. A

    Circular Motion. Roller-coaster mass of car and max speed

    Homework Statement A roller-coaster car speeds down a hill pas point A and then rolls up a hill past point B. A. Car speed = 20 m/s at point A. If the track exerts a normal force on the car of 2.06x10^4N at this point, what is the mass of the car? (account for gravitational force) B. What is...
  13. P

    Acceleration in circular motion -- conceptual doubt

    Homework Statement Purely a conceptual/ terminology question, a simple yes or no will suffice :) In circular motion, will a point on its circumference will have a LINEAR acceleration which can be broken into two components- the RADIAL component which is v2/r and the TANGENTIAL component which...
  14. E

    Circular motion: find velocity with angle, mass, and radius

    This was a homework problem; after five tries, I still did not get it, and I can't figure out how to get at the answer the assignment gave me. I could not find the answer anywhere that didn't get into angular velocity, which we are not at yet (and also did not give me the answer!). 1. Problem...
  15. J

    Circular Motion: Tension in String w/ Bob Weight

    Homework Statement A pendulum with a bob on the end is attached to a stand. The stand has a rod sticking out such that when the string of the pendulum strikes it, it starts to undergo circular motion. Consider the bob being released from a height such that when it strikes the rod, it only just...
  16. J

    Circular Motion and centripetal acceleration

    Homework Statement Q.1. Explain the changes in the tension of a piece of string which is being swung vertically with a bucket of water at the end. What would the minimum centripetal acceleration need to be for water to not fall out?Homework Equations ac = v^2/r The Attempt at a Solution The...
  17. B

    For a circular motion period to length and mass question.

    Homework Statement [/B] We are given a graph, with the information of the period, and the radius of the string. We amassed this data on our own. The graphing of it is quartic, but we have to make it into a linear graph?Homework Equations N/A The Attempt at a Solution [/B] First we tried to...
  18. T

    Angle of total acceleration of an object in circular motion

    Homework Statement A train slows down as it rounds a sharp horizontal turn, slowing from 90 km/h to 50 km/h in the 15 s that it takes to round the bend. The radius of the curve is 150 m. Compute the total acceleration at the moment the train speed reaches 50 km/h Homework Equations a =...
  19. A

    What Is the Fake Gravity on a Circular Space Hotel Orbiting Earth?

    Homework Statement A circular space hotel in orbit around the Earth has a radius of 220m. in order to produce "fake gravity" along the outer rim, it is desired to rotate at a speed that will produce a centripetal acceleration of 9.81 m/s^2. A) find the tangential speed of appoint on the rim...
  20. G

    Minimum Orbital Radius Around Black Holes

    Hi there, I was reading one of my textbooks and I had a thought. For a black hole, there is minimum orbiting radius of ##R_{min}=3R_s## where ##R_s## is the Schwarzschild Radius. This minimum orbit is created by the fact that in order to obtain an orbit of that radius around a black hole, you...
  21. P

    Average velocity in uniform circular motion

    Suppose a particle undergoing uniform circular motion completes a cycle, then ##<\vec{v}> = \frac{Δ\vec{r}}{Δt} = \vec{0}##. But then again, isn't it also the mean of the two velocity vectors at that point? And aren't those two velocity vectors equal? So if the velocity at that point were, say...
  22. RJLiberator

    Simple circular motion conceptual question

    Homework Statement [/B] If the speed was doubled, what would the radius and period be to keep the same acceleration? Homework Equations a = v^2/R T = 2piR/tThe Attempt at a Solution So with my understanding it is as follows: (2v)^2/R This makes it 4v^2/x = a since a=v^2/R Setting this into...
  23. P

    What is causing the normal force in circular motion?

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  24. C

    Dot product in uniform circular motion question -- Finding angle?

    I've attached an image of part a of the question to this thread. My question is this (the solution to these former homework problems are posted to help us study for exam, which is why know this already): The angle between the two velocity vectors is determined to be pi/2. How? I know that dot...
  25. A

    What is the notation for angular distance travelled?

    What is the notation for the angular distance traveled by an object moving in circular motion? s is for regular distance (m,ft,inches, etc.). What I want is some x to be the distance in either degrees or radians. How should I call that x?
  26. T

    Relative angular velocity in a rotating rod

    Consider a rod AB rotating about one of it's end A with angular velocity w. Now angular velocity of each point of the rod is same i.e. w. But if we have to find the relative angular velocity of the end B w.r.t. mid point of rod, what it will be? Will it be zero because, w-w=0 or first we...
  27. R

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    Homework Statement To simulate the extreme accelerations during launch, astronauts train in a large centrifuge. If the centrifuge diameter is 13.5m , what should be its rotation period to produce a centripetal acceleration of If the centrifuge diameter is 13.5m , what should be its rotation...
  28. H

    Circular motion and work done by non conservative forces

    Homework Statement A ball of mass m is attached to a string of length L. It is being swung in a vertical circle with enough speed so that the string remains taut throughout the ball's motion.(Figure 1) Assume that the ball travels freely in this vertical circle with negligible loss of total...
  29. J

    Calculating Force and Acceleration for a Yoyo and Clock

    Homework Statement A yoyo is spun with a radius of 0.5m. It reaches a velocity of 30m/s. What is the force if the yoyo is 0.3kg? ---- A clock has a hand with 0.3m long and 0.5kg. It takes 60 seconds for 1 revolution. What is its acceleration? What is the force? If you have any tips or...
  30. terryds

    Conservation of Energy in circular motion

    Homework Statement http://www.sumoware.com/images/temp/xzmomoeqpspoqxcq.png A block with mass m is static at first at the height of 2R (see picture above) and then slides without friction. a) Determine where the block leaves the track b) Determine the maximum height which the block reaches...
  31. L

    Normal force of a bead moving around a horizontal ring

    A bead of mass m is threaded on a metal hoop of radius R. There is a coefficient of kinetic friction µk between the bead and the hoop. It is given a push to start it sliding around the hoop with initial speed v0 . The hoop is located on the space station, so you can ignore gravity Find the...
  32. Quadrat

    Circular motion, tension and angular speed

    Homework Statement A ball with the mass m is attached to a rod, suspended by two strings both with lengths L. The rod is rotating with the angular velocity ω and the ball rotates with it in such a way that the strings are taut and the ball moves in a circular pattern. I tried to draw it on my...
  33. D

    Work in Uniform Circular Motion

    Uniform circular motion requires a force perpendicular to the velocity. Therefore, the work done by such a force is zero because the dot product of the force and the path is zero. So there is no energy gain beyond the kinetic energy arising from its constant speed. But if I have a mass (rocket...
  34. P

    Circular Motion Problem: Finding Tension in a Vertical Circle [11.8 N]

    Homework Statement object of mass 0.20 kg tied to a string is made to move in a vertical circle. When the object is at the highest point, the tension in the string is zero. Determine the tension in the string when the object is at the lowest point. [11.8 N] Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a...
  35. D

    Circular interference from the equation of a hyperbola

    Hi all, I had a question that I can't seem to find an answer too. I was hoping people could point me in the right direction, or let me know if there is an "easy" method. It has to do with the classic example of two stones in water producing constructive and destructive interference...
  36. B

    Circular Motion: Find Speed at Point A

    Homework Statement A .8 kg lead ball is whirled on the end of a string 5 meters long. When the ball passes through point A at the top of the path, the tension in the string is 4.96 N. What is the speed of the bob at point A? *NOTE - POINT A is at the top of the circle... Homework Equations...
  37. S

    Why Can't Conservation of Energy Be Used to Solve the Loop Problem in Physics?

    Homework Statement Bob starts at rest from the top of a frictionless ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, he enters a frictionless circular loop. The total mass of the child and the cart he sits in his m. What must the height of the ramp be in order for the cart to successfully traverse the loop...
  38. F

    How Can You Alter the Speed of an Object in Circular Motion?

    Homework Statement When you are spinning an object in a circular path, you are applying centripetal force towards the center of the circle while the velocity vector is perpendicular to it. Therefore the Force component affecting the velocity is FCos(90) = 0. Keeping this in mind, how can you...
  39. B

    Circular motion problem -- A ball rolling down an incline

    Homework Statement A 1 kg ball with a radius of 20 cm rolls down a 5 m high inclined plane. Its speed at the bottom is 8 m/s. How many revolutions per second is the ball making when at the bottom of the plane? Homework Equations circumference = 2πr velocity = distance / time = circumference /...
  40. H

    Circular motion in planets and satellites

    Homework Statement A spaceship in outerspace has a donut shaped with a 500 m outer radius. The inhabitants stand with their heads towards the center and their feet on an outside rim. Over what time interval with the spaceship have to complete one rotation on its axis to make a bathroom scale...
  41. K

    Normal Reaction in the following cases

    Homework Statement A small block is shot into each of the four tracks as shown below. Each of the tracks rise to the same height. The speed with which the block enters the track is the same in all cases. At the highest point of the track, the normal Reaction is maximum in which track? 2...
  42. R

    What is the Maximum Radius for a Bucket of Water in Circular Motion?

    Homework Statement A 3.75 kg bucket pile of water is swung in a vertical circle. If the speed of the bucket at the top of the loop is 6.20 m/s, then the radius of the largest circle through which this pail could move without the water leaving the bottom of the pail would be what? m = 3.75 kg...
  43. P

    Help with physics of flight paths?

    Hi all, If anything here is incorrect or confusing or seems trivially simple, I apologize: I'm not a physicist and created an account specifically to get help on this from some people who are! My question is this: Assume a plane has a constant airspeed and you wish to fly a circular pattern...
  44. tomo

    2 questions regarding circular motion and Newton's 1st Law

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  45. T

    How does kinetic energy change in circular motion?

    Could someone explain to me how the kinetic energy of a body moving in a circle is like? I got tempted it stays constant as the speed is constant but that turned out to be false. I am interested in places where the body is at top, side and bottom and so on. So I'd like to also know what the KE...
  46. A

    Why they don't give me the same answer? dynamics of uniform circular motion

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  47. S

    Circular Motion and Gravitation of tether ball

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  48. A

    Force Exerted Non-Uniform Circular Motion

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  49. F

    Calculating Speed in Circular Motion: A Roller Coaster Conundrum

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  50. Mickey Tee

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    Homework Statement Homework Equations Centripetal Acceleration = v2/r Fnet = ΣF The Attempt at a Solution The block exerts a force W equal to its weight on the box at the top most position. This upward W minus W downwards and an unknown F downwards equals a net Fc downwards. So F equals Fc...
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