Doubt in uniform circular motion

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of velocity and speed in the context of uniform circular motion. Participants explore the definitions and implications of these terms, particularly focusing on whether a particle in circular motion can have a constant velocity despite having a constant speed.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the reasoning behind considering speed as constant when discussing velocity in uniform circular motion, suggesting that it seems contradictory.
  • One participant emphasizes that velocity is a vector quantity that changes direction continuously in circular motion, implying that velocity cannot be constant even if speed is.
  • Another participant states that while velocity is ever-changing in circular motion, speed can remain constant, highlighting a distinction between the two concepts.
  • A different viewpoint introduces helical motion as a related concept, where constant speed can coexist with changing velocity due to direction changes.
  • One participant asserts that using natural coordinates can demonstrate that constant speed and a fixed non-zero acceleration result in circular motion, while zero acceleration leads to straight-line motion, citing their experience as a college teacher.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between speed and velocity in circular motion, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the definitions of speed and velocity are implicit in the discussion, and the implications of different types of motion (e.g., helical vs. circular) are not fully resolved.

manimaran1605
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why are we considering speed is constant to find velocity a particle in uniform circular motion, is it possible for a particle in a circular motion to have constant velocity?
 
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manimaran1605 said:
why are we considering speed is constant to find velocity a particle in uniform circular motion, is it possible for a particle in a circular motion to have constant velocity?

That doesn't make much sense, doesn't it?

BY DEFINITION, velocity is a vector, and circular motion involves something moving in a circle, i.e. CHANGING its direction all the time.

Zz.
 
The velocity in circular motion is necessarily everchanging, the speed need not be, and might well remain constant.
 
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STOP SHOUTING !,! Makes my eyes ache. :)
Motion in a helical path might interest you, this could be a combination of circular motion...where you have constant speed but changing velocity because of the changing direction. You could also have the circle moving at constant velocity to trace out the helix. This sort of 'circular' motion is common with electron beams.
 
by use of natural coordinates, it is very easy to prove that with constant speed and a fixed non-zero acceleration, the particle's motion must be circle. Moreover, if the particle's acceleration is zero, its trajectory is a straight line. I am a college teacher, believe in me.
 

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