What is Circular motion: Definition and 1000 Discussions

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. A

    Uniform Circular Motion of Swinging Objects

    I am very confused with a particular aspect of part of my physics curriculum. Let's say there is an object swinging on a rope swinging in a circular motion. The mass of the object, length of rope, and angle of rope relative to y-axis are known. How does one derive the tension of the rope...
  2. B

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  4. S

    Circular Motion, Revolutions from diameter, time and speed

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  5. S

    Calculating Revolutions in Circular Motion: A Tire's Journey in 4 Seconds

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  6. H

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  7. S

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  8. R

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  9. L

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  10. 2

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  11. T

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  12. M

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  13. F

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  14. J

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  15. K

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  16. L

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  17. V

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  18. S

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  19. D

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  20. A

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  21. M

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  22. M

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  23. E

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  24. A

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  25. H

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  26. J

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  28. A

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  29. I

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  30. B

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  31. D

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  32. E

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  33. B

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  34. V

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  35. J

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  36. C

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  37. J

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  38. T

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  39. D

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  40. D

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  41. D

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  42. D

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  43. J

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  44. V

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  45. H

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  46. M

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  47. B

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  48. H

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  49. F

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  50. N

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