Circular Motion

REMINDER: 1 radian = 57.3o.

Angular Speed

(omega is the symbol.)

v =r

s :

In an arc of length

a=

Centripetal Acceleration

s
= Velocity, and
t

= .
t

v2
r , by the way.

mv 2
=mr 2 .
r

Centripetal force =

Gravitational Fields
Consider 2 masses, m1 and m2, with a distance r between them.

m1 m2
r

F=

G m1 m2
r

G=6.67 1011 N m2 k g2

The force outside a uniform sphere is considered to act from its centre of mass.

Circular orbits
F=mr

Planet

F=M p r 2 M p r 2=

G Ms M p
r

(Ms is the mass of the sun, Mp is

the mass of the planet.)

2 =

G Ms
r

2
T

2
4 GM
2= 3 s
T
r

v=

(Just angular momentum.)

3

4 2r
T =
Kepler
GMs
2

T 2 r 3

2 r
T (Top is just the distance moved.)
a=

4 2 r
T2

T2=

2 3

4 pi r
gm

Newtons Law of Gravitation

F=ma

F=

F=mg

GMm
2
r

mg=

GMm
2
r

g=

GM
(Big M is mass of
2
r

object with gravitational pull, small m is mass of other object, e.g. person on
surface of Earth. Negative because vector quantity in opposite direction from r.)

F=

GMm

The potential at infinity is effectively zero.

Gravitational Potential
=

GM
r

Keplers Laws
1) The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the centre
of the sun being located at one focus. (The Law of Ellipses.)
2) An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the
planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time. (The Law of
Equal Areas)
3) The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the
ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun. (The Law of
Harmonies)

Escape Velocity
Cant leave home without it.

v esc =

2GM
, where r is the radius of the planet.
r
GM
=g
r2

Some Definitions
Gravitational Field Strength: The force per unit mass acting at a given distance
from an object.

Gravitational Potential: The energy an object possesses as a result of its position

in a gravitational field.

Kinetic Theory Of Gases

The basic assumptions made by the Kinetic Theory of Gases are:
That the gas is composed of a large number of identical molecules moving in
random directions, separated by distances that are large compared to their size.
That the molecules undergo elastic collisions with each other and the container,
but that there is no other interaction occurring.
That the transfer of kinetic energy between molecules comes in the form of
heat.
(Also that the molecules of gas are point masses, possessing no significant
volume.)

PV =nRT P=Pa,V=cm3,n=mol,R=constant (gas constant),T=oK

Consider a rectangular box.
The molecule, c, inside the box, has a mass, m, and a velocity, v.
There are 3 components to the velocity.

v =v x + v y +v z (?).

When the molecule strikes the wall, it recoils elastically (negligible recoil of the
wall).
In terms of momentum initially in the y direction,

m vy

mv=2 m v y The impulse is given by

becomes

mvy

fdt =2 mv y .

Between collisions, the molecule changes direction, and the time taken for the
molecule to return to its start is

t=

2l
Vy .

In the time T, which the pressure is measured the number of times this molecule
collides with the wall is

T vy
2l

total impulse on the wall, in this time

T vy
2m vy
2l

( )

Tm v 2y

(=<f>T)
l

mv 2y
L SIDE NOTE: <F> = Average of F
If there are N molecules,

Nm< v2y >

L
F

v =v x + v y + v z

v v x >+ v y >+ v z > There is no drift of

molecules.

Nm< v2 >
3L
F

Area =

wh

Nm< v2 >
3 lhw
p=

1
pV = Nm< v 2> mass/volume=density=
3
1
= < v 2 >
3

The Boltzmann Constant

The Boltzmann constant (ka or k), named after Ludwig Boltzmann, is a physical
constant relating energy at the individual particle level with temperature. It is the
gas constant R divided by the Avogadro constant N A.

k=

R
NA .

The Boltzmann constant has the dimension energy divided by temperature, the
same as entropy. The accepted value in SI units is

1.38064852 ( 79 ) 1029 JK-1