MOVING IN A CIRCLE

Describing circular motion

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 1
Describing circular motion

Many things move in circles.

Could you mention some of them?

Here are some examples:

1. The wheels of a car or bicycle

2. The earth in its orbit round the sun
3. The hands of a clock
4. A spinning hard disk in a computer
5. The drum of a washing machine

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 2
Describing circular motion

Sometime, things move along a path that is part of a circle. For

example, a car may travel around a bend in the road which is
an arc of a circle.

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 3
Describing circular motion

The second hand (red color) of a clock move steadily round

the clock-face. It takes one minute to travel all the way
round the circle.

The are 360o in a complete

circle, and 60 second in a
minute, so the hand move 6o
every second

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 4
Describing circular motion
We can describe the position of any object as it moves around
a circle simply by stating the angle q of the arc through which
it has moved from starting position

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 5
Describing circular motion
There are two conventions to note,
1. The starting position is horizontal, on the right
2. The object moves anticlockwise around the circle

The angle q through

which the object has
moved is known as its
angular displacement.

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 6
Describing circular motion
In practice, it is usual to measure angles and angular
displacements in a units called radian rather than in degree

One radian is the angle

subtended at the center of a
circle by an arc equal in
length to the radius of the
circle.
This means that there are more
than 6.28 radians in a complete
circle. It is equal to 2p radians
2p radians = 360o
Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc
Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 7
 Exercise #1:

1. If q = 60o, what is the value of q in radians?

2. Convert the following angle from degrees into

radians: 30o and 90o

3. Convert the following angle from radians into

degrees: 0.5 rad and p/4 rad

4. Express the following angles as multiples of p radian

60o and 45o

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 8
Describing circular motion
If an object moves a distance s around a circular path of
radius r, its angular displacement q is given by

length _ of _ arc s
angle or q
radius r

Since both s and r are distances measured in meters, it follows

that the angle q is simply a ratio. It is a dimensionless quantity.
We give it unit of radians.

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 9
Steady speed, changing velocity
There is an important distinction between speed and velocity:
speed is a scalar quantity, but velocity is a vector quantity,
with both magnitude and direction.

The arrows are straight

with the same length.
They are drawn as
tangents to the
circular path

Its speed remains constant but

its direction changes. It means
that its velocity changes
Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc
Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 10
Steady speed, changing velocity
When an objects velocity is changing, we say that
it is accelerating. In the case of uniform circular motion, the
acceleration is rather unusual, because as we have seen, the
object speed does not change but its velocity does.
How can an object accelerate, and at the same time have
a steady speed?

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 11
Centripetal acceleration
ANY change in velocity
results in acceleration

The acceleration is the

difference between the
velocity at position 1 and
the velocity at position 2.

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 12
Centripetal acceleration
The acceleration vector in uniform
circular motion is always
perpendicular to the path and
always points toward the center
of the circle.

2 2
v v
ar ac
r r
Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc
Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 13
Centripetal acceleration
we conclude that in uniform circular motion, the acceleration
is directed toward the center of the circle and has a
magnitude given by v2/r, where v is the speed of the particle
and r is the radius of the circle.

2
v
ar
r

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 14
A Quiz

B A ball is going around in a

A
circle attached to a string.
C If the string breaks at the
instant shown, which path
will the ball follow?

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 15
Circular motion (in deep..)

Angular displacement Dq = q2-q1

How far it has rotated

Angular velocity w = Dq/Dt

How fast it is rotating
Units radians/second 2p = 1 revolution

Period =1/frequency T = 1/f = 2p / w

Time to complete 1 revolution

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 16
Connection between..
Connection between linear and circular motion
x
q
r
v
w
r
ac

r
Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc
Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 17
Summary

Angular Linear
constant a constant

w w0 t v v 0 at

1 1 2
q q0 w 0 t t 2 x x 0 v 0t at
2 2

w 2 w02 2Dq v 2 v02 2aDx

And for a point at a distance R from the rotation axis:

x = Rq v = wR a = R

Created by Dr. Eng. Supriyanto, M.Sc

Fundamental of Physics http://supriyanto.fisika.ui.edu
Slide - 18