CAMBRIDGE A LEVEL

PHYSICS

MOTION IN A
CIRCLE

L E A R N I N G O U TC O M E S
No.

LEARNING OUTCOME

Understand the concept of circular motion

ii

Learn the kinematics of circular motion

iii

Interpret situations where the circular motion is

classified as uniform
Apply Newtons 2nd Law to understand the dynamics
of uniform circular motion
Understand the significance of the centripetal force to
uniform circular motion

iv
v

CONCEPT OF CIRCULAR
MOTION
An object is in circular motion when it is
rotating about a stationary point
(centre) at a fixed distance (radius)from
it.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION
The diagram shows an
object, P undergoing
circular motion.
The point O is the
centre, the fixed point.
The angle through
which it has rotated =

.
Figure 9.9, page 286: Chapter 9: ROTATION OF RIGID BODIES; SEARS AND ZEMANSKYS
UNIVERSITY PHYSICS WITH MODERN PHYSICS; Young, Hugh D. and Freedman, Roger A.,
Addison Wesley, San Francisco, 2012.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: DISPLACEMENT
An object undergoing circular motion
will have two displacements:
1. , the angular displacement , that is
measured in radians, (could be clockwise
or anticlockwise), and
2. , the arc length, that has the same units
as distance (m, km, etc.)

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: DISPLACEMENT
Geometrically, the angular displacement,
,
 the arc length,  and the radius,  of
the circular path are related by the

equation



Figure 17.3 (a), page 260, Chapter 17: CIRCULAR

MOTION; Cambridge International AS and A Level
Physics Coursebook, Sang, Jones, Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK,2014.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: DISPLACEMENT
Definition: 1 radian is the angle
subtended at the centre of the circle by
an arc equal in length to the radius of
the circle.
Figures 17.4 , page 260, Chapter 17: CIRCULAR
MOTION; Cambridge International AS and A Level
Physics Coursebook, Sang, Jones, Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK,2014.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: VELOCITY
We also need to measure how fast the
object is moving.
An object that is undergoing circular
motion has two speeds.
The two speeds are:
1. a linear speed, (in m s-1), that measures
how fast the object is moving, and
2. an angular speed,  (in rad s-1) that
measures how fast the object is rotating.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: VELOCITY

Questions 5 and 6, page 261, Chapter 17: CIRCULAR MOTION; Cambridge

International AS and A Level Physics Coursebook, Sang, Jones, Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK,2014.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION: VELOCITY
The linear speed,

and the angular

speed,  can be related mathematically.

Recall that   .
By differentiating both sides with
respect to , we obtain
simply  .









or

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION
Questions 7,8,
and 9, page 262,
Chapter 17:
CIRCULAR
MOTION;
Cambridge
International AS
and A Level
Physics
Coursebook,
Sang, Jones,
Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd
edition,
Cambridge
University Press,
Cambridge,
UK,2014.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N

What about the acceleration?

An object in circular motion
has two accelerations:
1. angular acceleration, , and
2. linear acceleration,

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
The angular acceleration,
measures the rate at which the
angular speed, is changing.
The angular acceleration,
in this syllabus. Hence,
is
constant.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
The linear acceleration, is made
up
of
two
mutually
perpendicular components:
1. the

tangential acceleration,
 , and
2. The centripetal acceleration,
.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
The tangential acceleration, 
determines the change in the
magnitude of the linear velocity:
i.

If  > 0, the linear speed

increases.
ii. If  < 0, the linear speed
decreases.
iii. If  = 0, the linear speed is
constant.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N

The centripetal acceleration,

 changes the direction of
the linear velocity vector.
For circular motion to occur,
 must exist!

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
How do we calculate the values
of the tangential and centripetal
accelerations?
At A Level, 
. This means
that the linear speed of the
object in circular motion is
constant. This is called uniform
circular motion.

UNIFORM CIRCULAR
MOTION
For uniform circular motion, the linear
speed,
is constant.
We introduce a new quantity called the
period, , which is the time taken to
make one complete revolution.
We now have   









since

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
What about  ?
We will work on deriving an expression for it
now by using the diagram below.
r
r

Figure 3.28, page 86: Chapter 3:

MOTION IN TWO OR THREE
DIMENSIONS; SEARS AND
ZEMANSKYS UNIVERSITY PHYSICS
WITH MODERN PHYSICS; Young,
Hugh D. and Freedman, Roger A.,
Addison Wesley, San Francisco,
2012.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N
Since both triangles are similar,


.


Dividing both sides of the equation

 
 
by , we obtain
. Note
that




and

 



 

.

K I N E M AT I C S O F C I R C U L A R
M O T I O N : A C C E L E R AT I O N






We now get
 or 
Since
, we can also obtain


 


The two equations we have derived

for  calculates its magnitude. The
direction will always be towards the
centre of the circular path.

DY N A M I C S O F C I R C U L A R
MOTION
Recalling Newtons 2nd Law, the
existence and direction of the
centripetal acceleration tells us:
1. That there is a resultant force
towards the centre of the circular
path, and
2. How to calculate the magnitude of
this resultant force.

C E NT R IPE TA L FORC E
This resultant force towards the
centre of the circular path is known
as the centripetal force.
Its value can be calculated by using
the equation


C E NT R IPE TA L FORC E
What we need to understand is that
the centripetal force is a resultant
force, not an actual physical force.
It is a good idea for us to identify the
forces that provide the centripetal
force.

EXAMPLES
Questions 10 and
11, page 263,
Chapter 17:
CIRCULAR MOTION;
Cambridge
International AS and
A Level Physics
Coursebook, Sang,
Jones, Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd
edition, Cambridge
University Press,
Cambridge,
UK,2014.

EXAMPLES
Questions 14 and
15, page 265,
Chapter 17:
CIRCULAR MOTION;
Cambridge
International AS and
A Level Physics
Coursebook, Sang,
Jones, Chadha and
Woodside, 2nd
edition, Cambridge
University Press,
Cambridge,
UK,2014.

EXAMPLES
May/Jun 2008, Paper 4, question 1.

EXAMPLES
May/Jun 2008, Paper 4, question 1 (contd).

EXAMPLES
May/Jun 2008, Paper 4, question 1 (contd).

EXAMPLES
May/Jun 2008, Paper 4, question 1 (contd).

EXAMPLES
May/Jun 2008, Paper 4, question 1 (contd).

HOMEWORK
1. May/Jun 2010, Paper 41, question 1.