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Uniform Circular Motion
- For an object to maintain the same speed while moving in a circle, its velocity must constantly be changing-the object has an acceleration.
- The formula for acceleration if you have uniform circular motion (the same speed throughout the circle):
| →a| = | →v|2 r. - The acceleration vector always points from the object to the center of the circle.
- The velocity vector is always tangential to the circle.
- Remember: in the above equation, those are the magnitudes of the vectors, since the direction of both acceleration and velocity must constantly be changing.
- A revolution is one complete circuit of the circle.
- The circumference of a circle is 2πr and the speed is |→v|, so the time it takes for one revolution is
T = 2πr | →v| .
Uniform Circular Motion
Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.
- Intro
- Centripetal Acceleration
- Centripetal Acceleration of a Rock Being Twirled Around on a String
- Looking Closer: Instantaneous Velocity and Tangential Velocity
- Magnitude of Acceleration
- Centripetal Acceleration Formula
- You Say You Want a Revolution
- Example 1: Centripetal Acceleration of a Rock
- Example 2: Magnitude of a Car's Acceleration While Turning
- Example 3: Speed of a Point on the Edge of a US Quarter































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