Circular Motion
What to expect.
If you've got questions about circular motion, this page has answers. Think of cars going around a curve, a rock in a sling, or a Ferris Wheel. It's all here.
An unbanked curve
A car goes around a unbanked curve in the road, find the force acting to keep the car on the road.
Find the friction
A car goes around and unbanked curve. Find the coefficient of friction that keeps it on the road.
An airplane turns
Find the inward acceleration needed to turn and airplane in the air. The radius is given as is the time to make a complete turn.
The Gravitron (or Rotor)
This fun rides spins you round and round and creates gravity. With R = 5 m and spinning at 24 revolutions/minute, find the number of "G" forces the riders feel
A satellite orbits Earth
A satellite of mass M and distance from Earth's center (R) has an orbital speed V. What is the magnitude of the force putting it toward the earth?
Sling shot science
A sling can withstand 35 Newtons before breaking. If the sling is 1.1 m long and carries a stone of mass 2.0 kg, how fast can the stone move before the string breaks?
A bike goes around a loop
A bike goes around a loop with a 10.0 m diameter. How fast does the bike need to go to keep from falling when it reaches the top of the loop?
Friction vs. Speed
Double the coefficient of friction. How does that affect your max speed around a curve?
Lose weights on a Ferris Wheel
What is the normal force on a Ferris Wheel at the top and bottom of a ride? And what speed does the Wheel need to turn to make you weightless at the top?
Friction vs a banked curve
How does the coefficient of friction for a car going around a curve compare with the angle of a banked curve?
Hard Physics Problem!!
When a road has both an incline and friction, the solution is much more complex
Circular mystery: solved!
Till now we're just assumed this formula, but in this video, we prove that the centripetal acceleration is v^2/R.