uniform circular motion

(noun)

Movement around a circular path with constant speed.

Related Terms

Examples of uniform circular motion in the following topics:

  • Overview of Non-Uniform Circular Motion

    • Non-uniform circular motion denotes a change in the speed of a particle moving along a circular path.
    • What do we mean by non-uniform circular motion?
    • The answer lies in the definition of uniform circular motion, which is a circular motion with constant speed.
    • This means that the radius of the circular path is variable, unlike the case of uniform circular motion.
    • In non-uniform circular motion, the magnitude of the angular velocity changes over time.

  • Kinematics of UCM

    • Uniform circular motion is a motion in a circular path at constant speed.
    • Under uniform circular motion, angular and linear quantities have simple relations.
    • Under uniform circular motion, the angular velocity is constant.
    • Any net force causing uniform circular motion is called a centripetal force.
    • For uniform circular motion, the acceleration is the centripetal acceleration: $a = a_c$.

  • Circular Motion

    • Uniform circular motion describes the motion of an object along a circle or a circular arc at constant speed.
    • Therefore, uniform circular motion indicates the presence of a net external force.
    • The equation for the acceleration $a$ required to sustain uniform circular motion is:
    • In uniform circular motion, the centripetal force is perpendicular to the velocity.
    • Develop an understanding of uniform circular motion as an indicator for net external force

  • Simple Harmonic Motion and Uniform Circular Motion

    • Simple harmonic motion is produced by the projection of uniform circular motion onto one of the axes in the x-y plane.
    • Uniform circular motion describes the motion of a body traversing a circular path at constant speed.
    • There is an easy way to produce simple harmonic motion by using uniform circular motion.
    • A point P moving on a circular path with a constant angular velocity ω is undergoing uniform circular motion.
    • Describe relationship between the simple harmonic motion and uniform circular motion

  • Relationship Between Linear and Rotational Quantitues

    • For example, consider the case of uniform circular motion.
    • This is the first advantage of describing uniform circular motion in terms of angular velocity.
    • For simplicity, let's consider a uniform circular motion.
    • Because $\frac{dr}{dt} = 0$ for a uniform circular motion, we get $v = \omega r$.
    • Each particle constituting the body executes a uniform circular motion about the fixed axis.

  • Centripetal Force

    • A force which causes motion in a curved path is called a centripetal force (uniform circular motion is an example of centripetal force).
    • A force that causes motion in a curved path is called a centripetal force.
    • Uniform circular motion is an example of centripetal force in action.
    • where: $F_c$ is centripetal force, $m$ is mass, $v$ is velocity, and $r$ is the radius of the path of motion.
    • Angular velocity is the measure of how fast an object is traversing the circular path.

  • Sinusoidal Nature of Simple Harmonic Motion

    • A tuning fork, a sapling pulled to one side and released, a car bouncing on its shock absorbers, all these systems will exhibit sine-wave motion under one condition: the amplitude of the motion must be small.
    • Recall that the projection of uniform circular motion can be described in terms of a simple harmonic oscillator.
    • Uniform circular motion is therefore also sinusoidal, as you can see from .
    • The position of the projection of uniform circular motion performs simple harmonic motion, as this wavelike graph of x versus t indicates.
    • Review factors responsible for the sinusoidal behavior of uniform circular motion

  • Centripetial Acceleration

    • Centripetal acceleration is the constant change in velocity necessary for an object to maintain a circular path.
    • Uniform circular motion involves an object traveling a circular path at constant speed.
    • To calculate the centripetal acceleration of an object undergoing uniform circular motion, it is necessary to have the speed at which the object is traveling and the radius of the circle about which the motion is taking place.

  • Circular Motion

    • So, does the magnetic force cause circular motion?
    • This is typical of uniform circular motion.
    • In other words, it is the radius of the circular motion of a charged particle in the presence of a uniform magnetic field.
    • A particle experiencing circular motion due to a uniform magnetic field is termed to be in a cyclotron resonance.
    • Uniform circular motion results.

  • Helical Motion

    • Helical motion results when the velocity vector is not perpendicular to the magnetic field vector.
    • In the section on circular motion we described the motion of a charged particle with the magnetic field vector aligned perpendicular to the velocity of the particle.
    • In this case, the magnetic force is also perpendicular to the velocity (and the magnetic field vector, of course) at any given moment resulting in circular motion.
    • This produces helical motion (i.e., spiral motion) rather than a circular motion.
    • Uniform circular motion results.