Uniform Circular Motion

We have come across different types of motions in our previous sessions. Rotatory motion, rectilinear motion, oscillatory motion, uniform circular, and periodic motion are some types of motion. Movement of an object while rotating along a circular path is known as circular motion. Circular motion can be either uniform or non-uniform. In this article, let us discuss in brief the uniform circular motion along with examples.

What Is Uniform Circular Motion?

The movement of a body following a circular path is called a circular motion. Now, the motion of a body moving with constant speed along a circular path is called Uniform Circular Motion. Here, the speed is constant but the velocity changes.

If a particle is moving in a circle, it must have some acceleration acting towards the centre which is making it move around the centre. Since this acceleration is perpendicular to the velocity of a particle at every instant, it is only changing the direction of velocity and not magnitude and that’s why the motion is uniform circular motion. We call this acceleration centripetal acceleration (or radial acceleration), and the force acting towards the centre is called centripetal force.

In the case of uniform circular motion, the acceleration is:

ar = v2/r = ω2r

If the mass of the particle is m, we can say from the second law of motion that:

F = ma

mv2/r= mω2r

This is not a special force, actually force like tension or friction may be a cause of origination of centripetal force. When the vehicles turn on the roads, it is the frictional force between tyres and ground that provides the required centripetal force for turning.

NOTE

So if a particle is moving in a uniform circular motion:

1) Its speed is constant

2) Velocity is changing at every instant

3) There is no tangential acceleration

4) Radial (centripetal) acceleration = ω2r

5) v=ωr

In case of non-uniform circular motion, there is some tangential acceleration due to which the speed of the particle increases or decreases. The resultant acceleration is the vector sum of radial acceleration and tangential acceleration.

Uniform Circular Motion Examples

Following are the examples of uniform circular motion:

• Motion of artificial satellites around the earth is an example of uniform circular motion. The gravitational force from the earth makes the satellites stay in the circular orbit around the earth.
• The motion of electrons around its nucleus.
• The motion of blades of the windmills.
• The tip of second’s hand of a watch with a circular dial shows uniform circular motion.