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. Y

    Designing a Banked, Circular Highway Exit | Help with Homework

    Homework Statement The task is to design a highway. I did a similar project last year but I have completely forgotten and have no clue what to do. You have to design a banked, circular, clockwise highway exit. you knwo you have 5000 sq. meters. of land to build it on..you also know that the...
  2. N

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    Homework Statement Homework Equations L = T-V For constant frequency tangential velocity is (radius)*(w) The Attempt at a Solution I need to find r(t) using the Langrangian L = T-V I just was not sure whether I am on the right track for calculating the total kinetic energy for the above...
  3. PainterGuy

    The components of force and velocity vectors in circular motion

    Hi! I was trying to understand circular motion and came across two problems. I would really appreciate if you could help me with those. Question 1: In the picture below let's assume that the angle θ is 1 radian, i.e. 57.3°, radius is 1 m. It would mean that the length of arc AB is also 1 m...
  4. C

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  5. YMMMA

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  6. devilish_wit

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  7. H

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  8. M

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  9. M

    Circular Motion Problem: Child swinging on a rope

    Homework Statement A curious child finds a rope hanging vertically from the ceiling of a large storage hangar. The child grabs the rope and starts running in a circle. The length of the rope is 14.0m. When the child runs in a circle of radius 7.0m, the child is about to lose contact with the...
  10. J

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  11. YMMMA

    Physics: Circular motion and the orbital speeds of satellites

    Homework Statement Satellite 1 has mass m1 & radius R1 and satellite 2 has mass m2 and radius 2R1 Which satellite’s speed is greater? Question and my attempt are shown in the attached file. Homework Equations V= √GM/R The Attempt at a Solution I am not sure if my steps are correct, but if...
  12. S

    Circular Motion: Swinging a rock on a string in a vertical circle....

    Homework Statement :[/B] One swings a rock at the end of a string. We wish for the string to remain taut and for the rock to travel in a circulat path, in a vertical plane. What mathematical condition must the centripetal acceleration of the rock satisfy for the string to remain taut when the...
  13. M

    Why is 'the velocity' in circular motion changing?

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  14. Jacquelyn

    Uniform Circular Motion and Projectile Motion Help

    Homework Statement A 60 g ball is tied to the end of a 40-cm-long string and swung in a vertical circle. The center of the circle is 150 cm above the floor. The ball is swung at the minimum speed necessary to make it over the top without the string going slack. If the string is released at the...
  15. alexi_b

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  16. Aleoa

    Uniform circular motion and conservation of energy

    A point mass in an uniform circular motion is continuously changing the velocity direction. To do it, it continuously need force (energy). If we don't give any energy to the system it will anyhow continues its uniform circular motion. How it's possible, who gives the energy ? (It's seems a...
  17. V

    Direction of friction in circular motion

    Homework Statement I can't understand why friction acts radially inwards when a body is rotating on a rough turntable. If the friction is removed, the body would move tangentially, hence it has slipping tendency tangential, not radially outwards, then shouldn't friction act tangentially...
  18. Beth N

    Circular motion: normal force on a loop

    Homework Statement A 180lb pilot flies a verticle loop with radius 2000 ft at 350 mi/h. With what force does the seat fress upward against him at the bottom of the loop? Problem 6.21 Homework Equations ##F=ma## ##F_c=\frac {mv^2} {r} ## The Attempt at a Solution There seems to be a...
  19. babaliaris

    Uniform Circular Motion and Centripetal Acceleration (non-intuitive)

    I'm in the chapter of Uniform Circular Motion and I have a hard time understating centipetal acceleration. Until now I knew that acceleration describes "how fast velocity changes in magnitude" except projectile motion because when it reaches maximum height then g is going to change the direction...
  20. HCverma

    In the circular motion below, what will be the velocity?

    Homework Statement In circular motion what will be the change in velocity if initial velocity and final velocity is 2 m/s? From the left, in the 3rd diagram, if initial velocity and final velocity is 2 m/ s then what is the change in velocity? t = 5 s Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a...
  21. HCverma

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    In the circular motion, What does it mean by this equation s = r.θ?
  22. V

    Find Angular Velocity for Moving Particle Parallel to x-Axis

    Homework Statement A particle is moving parallel to x-axis in the positive direction with velocity v such that at all the instants the y -axis component of its position vector is constant and is equal to 'b'. Find angular velocity about origin. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I...
  23. J

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  24. barryj

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  25. WhiteWolf98

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  26. A

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  27. B

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  28. WhiteWolf98

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    Homework Statement A ##5 ~kg## mass performs circular motion at the end of a light, inextensible string of length ##3~m##. If the speed of the mass is ##2 ~ms^{-1} ## when the string is horizontal, what is its speed at the bottom of the circle? (assume ##g=10~ms^{-1}##) (Ans: ##8~ms^{-1}##)...
  29. K

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  30. isukatphysics69

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  31. A

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    Homework Statement There is a block of known mass m on a horizontal surface. The block is connected to a pulley via a rope. The other end of the rope is pulled vertically, downwards, with a known force F. The pulley has a known moment of inertia I and radius r. Calculate the acceleration a of...
  32. P

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  33. isukatphysics69

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    1. Homework Statement In picture Homework Equations f=ma v^2/r The Attempt at a Solution ΣFy=-mg - Fn = m(-v^2/r) -55*9.8 - Fn = m(-v^2/r) v= 16π/4.5 since circumference = 2πr divide by the rotations time taken per second = 11.17m/s -Fn = 55(-15.6) + 55*9.8 Fn = -319 What am i doing wrong here??
  34. Tannerbobanner

    How does radius affect frequency in uniform circular motion?

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  35. Natus Homonymus

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    I understand that the centripetal force on an object of mass 'm' is (mv2)/r However, isn't this for an object going around in a circle? Suppose I have a curve (0.0033x2+−1.0038x+98.2331). What would be the fastest speed around this curve on the bounds x -> Please note that we would...
  36. Senim Silla

    Yacht going around a track - circular motion

    Homework Statement A model yacht runs on a horizontal frictionless oval track as shown (viewed from above) in the figure. The curved parts of the track are semi-circles of radius ##R = 0.5 m##; the straight sides have length ##L = 1 m##. The mass of the yacht is ##m = 0.5 kg.## A force of...
  37. Jan Berkhout

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  38. D

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  39. B

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  40. NotKepler

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  41. K

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    In circular motions, one can measure the NetForce on an object with this formula: ΣF = m*v^2/r. But is this formula valid even if the orbital speed of the object is constantly increasing (or constantly decreasing)?
  42. R

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  43. C

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    I am having trouble understanding tangential speed as it applies to uniform circular motion and I would appreciate any help. Say I have a ball on the end of a string that I hold with my hand and rotate at a constant speed. If the string provides the centripetal force and acceleration, where...
  44. A

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  45. Specter

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  46. F

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  47. E

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  48. K

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  49. A

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  50. ferrariistheking

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