Help Understanding Circular Motion

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around understanding circular motion problems, particularly in the context of Newton's laws of motion. Participants express challenges with both uniform and non-uniform circular motion, focusing on how to set up these problems and the relevant forces involved.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding how to set up circular motion problems, specifically regarding the summation of forces in different directions.
  • Another participant suggests a chapter from a free science ebook as a resource for learning about circular motion.
  • A different participant recommends Wikipedia as a common resource for physics topics.
  • A participant reiterates the need for resources and suggests the hyperphysics site as a reliable reference for elementary concepts.
  • There is a mention of the "lightandmatter" site, which is praised for its quality and accessibility of physics textbooks.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the usefulness of various online resources for understanding circular motion, but there is no consensus on a single best approach or resource.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not resolved the specific challenges related to setting up circular motion problems, and there are varying opinions on the best resources available for learning.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students struggling with circular motion concepts in physics, particularly those seeking additional resources or clarification on the application of Newton's laws.

sharkshockey
Messages
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Hi there,

New to the forums, but have been periodically browsing posts as a guest. Anyways, I'm having trouble understanding and solving circular motion problems, but not finding angular velocities and what not, more so with respect to Newton's laws (forces). Such problems like uniform and non-uniform circular motion.

Is there a website that I could be directed to to learn more about these types of problems or possible advice from one of the members?

I understand how circular motion problems work, but I don't get how to set them up. My professor said something of summing the forces in the Z-direction and in the radial direction. I want to have some basic understanding of what he was saying before seeing him.
 
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How about this chapter on circular motion from a book at lightandmatter.com - free science ebooks:

http://www.lightandmatter.com/html_books/1np/ch09/ch09.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey, I'm rather new to the forums as well. From what I've seen, almost everyone goes to wikipedia. Try there.
 
sharkshockey said:
Hi there,

New to the forums, but have been periodically browsing posts as a guest. Anyways, I'm having trouble understanding and solving circular motion problems, but not finding angular velocities and what not, more so with respect to Newton's laws (forces). Such problems like uniform and non-uniform circular motion.

Is there a website that I could be directed to to learn more about these types of problems or possible advice from one of the members?

I understand how circular motion problems work, but I don't get how to set them up. My professor said something of summing the forces in the Z-direction and in the radial direction. I want to have some basic understanding of what he was saying before seeing him.

At the elementary level, I would recommend using https://www.physicsforums.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=1665022" .

Zz.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I second ZapperZ's endorsement of the hyperphysics site. It's professional and reliable; for elementary stuff, it's always my first choice as a reference.

But if you're looking for an alternative to your own textbook, I also recommend the "lightandmatter" site that mikelepore gave. Ben Crowell has written an excellent set of physics textbooks which he makes available for free.
 

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