uniform motion

(noun)

Motion at a constant velocity (with zero acceleration). Note that an object in motion will not change its velocity unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.

Related Terms

Examples of uniform 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.

  • Circular Motion

    • Uniform circular motion describes the motion of an object along a circle or a circular arc at constant speed.
    • It is the basic form of rotational motion in the same way that uniform linear motion is the basic form of translational motion.
    • Therefore, uniform linear motion indicates the absence of a net external force.
    • Therefore, uniform circular motion indicates the presence of a net external force.
    • In uniform circular motion, the centripetal force is perpendicular to the velocity.

  • 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.
    • The next figure shows the basic relationship between uniform circular motion and simple harmonic motion.
    • Describe relationship between the simple harmonic motion and uniform circular motion

  • 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: $a = a_c$.

  • Relationship Between Linear and Rotational Quantitues

    • For example, consider the case of uniform circular motion.
    • Here, the velocity of particle is changing - though the motion is "uniform".
    • 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 $v = \omega r$.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Circular Motion

    • This is typical of uniform circular motion.
    • The simplest case occurs when a charged particle moves perpendicular to a uniform B-field, such as shown in .
    • 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.
    • This produces helical motion (i.e., spiral motion) rather than a circular motion.
    • Uniform circular motion results.
    • Describe conditions that lead to the helical motion of a charged particle in the magnetic field

  • Motional EMF

    • Motion in a magnetic field that is stationary relative to the Earth induces motional EMF (electromotive force).
    • Motion is one of the major causes of induction.
    • In this Atom, we concentrate on motion in a magnetic field that is stationary relative to the Earth, producing what is loosely called motional EMF.
    • Now Δ=Δ(BA)=BΔA, since B is uniform.
    • (a) A motional emf=Bℓv is induced between the rails when this rod moves to the right in the uniform magnetic field.