Circular motion is the movement of an object along a circular path. This means that the object is constantly changing direction while maintaining the same distance from a fixed point, known as the center of the circle.
Circular motion is caused by a force acting on an object, known as the centripetal force. This force pulls the object towards the center of the circle and keeps it moving along the circular path.
The main difference between circular motion and linear motion is the path that the object follows. In circular motion, the object moves along a circular path, while in linear motion, the object moves along a straight path.
The speed of an object in circular motion can be calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time it takes to travel that distance. This is also known as the average speed. However, in circular motion, the speed is constantly changing, so the instantaneous speed at any given point is calculated using the derivative of the distance with respect to time.
Some examples of circular motion in everyday life include the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, the motion of a car around a roundabout, and the spinning of a merry-go-round. Other examples include the motion of a satellite in orbit and the swinging of a pendulum.