Uniform Circular Motion

Natick High School Physics 1. General Newtons first law states that it takes a force to make an object do any of these: Speed up Slow down Turn For an object moving at constant speed in a circle, the first two dont apply, but the last does. Another way of looking at this is in realizing that velocity is a vector, and that any change to velocity requires a force. In the case of uniform circular motion, what is changing is not the magnitude of the velocity vector, but its direction. As always, the direction of the velocity change is the same as the direction of the force. For instance, to speed up an object, that is, to make the velocity vector longer, the force must point in the direction of motion. To see what the direction of the change in velocity is for uniform circular motion, examine the drawing below: vi Object at an instant of its motion Object at a later time vf

The direction of the velocity is always along the circle, a direction that is called tangential. From the first position to the second, the velocity changes from to . If you had to push on the object to change its direction, you would have to push this way: . This direction is toward the center of the circle, a direction that is called centripetal. As the object keeps going around and the direction of its velocity keeps changing, the direction of the change is always towards the center, so the force that changes the direction of the velocity must always point toward the center. For this reason, it is called a centripetal force. A thought experiment you could do to help you imagine the direction of the force that maintains circular motion is to imagine a block of ice sliding on a frozen lake. As the block goes by, you push on it slightly to turn it, being careful not to speed it up or slow it down. If you push it to the right, it turns to the right. Now, after you push it, your friend pushes it to change its direction again. Then another friend pushes it, then another and another. If there are enough of you on the ice,

You Your friend

Block coming in this way

Your other friend you can get the block to go all the way around, and when it gets back to you, you push it again. Think about what direction each of you has to push on the block of ice to keep it going around its always toward the center of the circle the block is making. 2. What we know about the centripetal force. The force that maintains an objects uniform circular motion is called the centripetal force. What we know is that it always points toward the center of the circle the object is making and that it has a magnitude of mv2/r. Here, m is the mass of the object, and more massive objects require more force. v is the speed of the object, and faster objects require much more force to go in circles. r is the radius of the circle the object is making, and more gradual circles, having larger rs, require less force. Centripetal force is a resultant, a F. That is to say, some other force or forces must add to the centripetal force, and it can be almost any of the forces we know: Fg, FN, FT, Ff, or a contact force. Hence, finding the centripetal force is yet another hunt for the elusive F and the 8-step program is usually required. F = mv2/r and points toward the center 3. Types of circular motion problems The type of circular motion problem we have to solve is set by the force or forces that are providing the centripetal force. A. Friction is providing the centripetal force

Set the friction force (FN) equal to the centripetal force (mv2/r). This applies to cars going around level (unbanked) corners and bugs on turntables among others. The clue that friction is providing the centripetal force is that the circular motion is along a surface and the center of the circle is along the surface.

B.

Tension (or a component of FT) is providing the centripetal force

If tension is acting at an angle, decompose it. Usually the y component opposes the weight (Fg) of the object, and the x component provides the centripetal force. If the angle is very small, you can ignore the y part, which is what we did when in the Flying Stoppers lab. Tension is an adjustable force, so it will become whatever it needs to be to provide these two forces. The types of problems are stoppers being twirled on strings, objects hanging from the roof of a car going around a corner, and the Tarzan problem. C. Normal force is providing the centripetal force

Since FN is also an adjustable force, it can become whatever it needs to be to provide just the right amount of force. The types of problems in which FC is provided by FN are the Turkish twist ride at an amusement park or the bottom part of Ferris wheel. You will need to follow the 8 steps very carefully for these problems since FN often does more than just provide a centripetal force. Also, remember that normal means perpendicular to a surface. D. Gravity is providing the centripetal force

Since FC must point toward the center of the circle, if it is provided by Fg, the circle must be vertical and the object must be at the top of the circle. Again, the 8 steps will be critical to solving this type of problem. This problem can be complicated because Fg cannot adjust it is always m*g (near the surface of the Earth). This means that unless the object is going exactly the right speed for its mass and radius, some other force must help provide FC or oppose some of the gravity force. Types of problems: Top of a Ferris wheel, stopper swung in a vertical circle, orbits. If the motion is taking place near the surface of the Earth, then Fg = m*g. As soon as you get away from the surface, you need to use the more complicated Universal Gravitation formula: Fg = (Gm1m2)/r2 (Universal Gravitation). For orbit problems, set Fg = FC or Gm1m2/r2 = mv2/r. On the left side, G is the universal gravitation constant, the ms are the two objects masses, and r is the distance from center to center. On the right side, m is the mass of the orbiting object, v is its speed and r is the distance to the other object. Since the rs are the same and the right m is the same as one of the ms on the left (the mass of the orbiting object), the equation simplifies to: Gm = v2r (Orbits). Here m is the mass of the large object at the center, v is the speed of the orbiting object, and r is distance between them.