Circular Motion and Angular Speed
Key points
- Circular motion is when an object moves along the circumference in a circle.
- The period is the amount of time it takes for the object to complete one full revolution.
- Angular speed is equal to the change in angular rotation over the change in time, measured in radians per second.
Circular Motion is the motion of an object in a circular path, such as the cornering of a car.
- The period, T, is the amount of time the object takes to complete one revolution around the circle.
- The linear velocity depends on distance/time.
- Assuming that the period T is the timeframe, and the distance is the revolution of the circle, we get the equation to the right:
- This is for the velocity along the circumference of the path, or the linear speed.
- Assuming that the period T is the timeframe, and the distance is the revolution of the circle, we get the equation to the right:
Not in Formula Booklet but important
The angular speed refers to the rate at which the object turns.
- The angle swept by the object divided by the time taken to do so.
- It is measured in radians per second.
- The linear speed is equal to the angular speed times the radius (in the formula booklet).
- This leads to the second formula in the example to the left.
The angular speed vector is tangent to the circumference of motion.
- If the force was no longer applied, the motion of the object would follow that tangent.
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