5.

2 Centripetal acceleration and force

Centripetal acceleration
Centripetal force Centripetal force experiment

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 170)

Centripetal acceleration

Change in velocity (v) = vB vA (represented by QR) Go to Common Error Particle experiences change of velocity (acceleration) along direction AO (pointing to Go to centre of circle) centripetal acceleration Common Error Manhattan Press
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 170)

Centripetal acceleration
An object in uniform circular motion experiences a centripetal acceleration which is the acceleration directed towards the centre of the circle.

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 171)

Centripetal acceleration
v v = v A = vB and = v v = v
Change in velocity v v( ) a= = = = v Time taken t t t
2 v Centripetal acceleration (a ) = v = r 2 = r

pointing to centre of circle

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 171)

Centripetal force
Steady speed v but changing direction of motion - force acting on it (Newtons 1st Law) No force in direction of motion (constant speed) Force towards centre of circular path centripetal force (Fc)
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 172)

Centripetal force
2 mv Centripetal force ( Fc ) = ma = = mr 2 = mv r

Note: For a uniform circular motion: 1. Centripetal force is always perpendicular to the motion of the body. It does no work on the body and the kinetic energy of the body remains unchanged.
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 172)

Centripetal force
Note: 2. The centripetal force (Fc) is the force required to keep the body moving in a circle. It is provided by the external resultant force towards the centre. It is a functional name rather than a real force. The origins of the centripetal forces may be tension, friction or reaction forces.

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 172)

Centripetal force experiment

1. Procedure - rubber bung whirled around in horizontal circle - measure time taken for 50 revolutions of bung - calculate angular velocity ()

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 173)

Centripetal force experiment

2. Analysis T cos = mg .......................... (1) T sin = mr2 .......................... (2) T sin = m ( sin) 2 T = m2 T is provided by Mg Fc = mr2
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 173)

Centripetal force experiment

3. Error (i) there is a friction acting at the opening of the glass tube, (ii) the string is not inextensible, (iii) the rubber bung is not whirled with constant speed, and (iv) the rubber bung is not whirled in a horizontal circle.
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Example 3
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Example 4
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End

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 170)

When a particle moves in uniform circular motion, it has constant speed but not constant velocity because its direction changes from time to time.

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 170)

Uniform circular motion is not a kind of uniformly accelerated motion since the acceleration is fixed only in magnitude, but not in direction.

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 171)

As centripetal acceleration (a) may be expressed as a = v 2 r 1 a It is wrong to think that r Since velocity is not a constant and v r. Therefore,
2 2 v r a= r r ar
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Centripetal acceleration is actually increased with radius r.

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 171)

The circular motion does not produce a centripetal force. The fact is that the centripetal force that causes the circular motion is actually a resultant of other forces.
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 173)

Q: (a) In the centripetal force experiment mentioned above, what will happen when the string breaks while the bung is whirling? (b) What is the relationship between the vertical angle of the string and the speed of the bung? (c) Explain with the aid of a diagram, why a mass at the end of a light inelastic string cannot be whirled in circle in air with the string horizontal. Solution
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 174)

Solution: (a) If the string breaks, the centripetal force disappears. The bung can no longer keep in the circular motion. It will fly away tangentially.
2 mv (b) Horizontal motion : Tsin = ...................(1) r Vertical motion : Tcos = mg .....................(2) 2 v (1) (2) : tan = gr

The angle increases as the bung is whirled at a higher speed. Go to

More to Know 1
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 174)

Solution (contd): (c) If the string is horizontal (Fig. (a)), there is no vertical force to balance the weight of the mass mg. Therefore, the string must make an angle with the vertical (Fig. (b)) so that the vertical component of T counteracts the weight mg. T cos = mg

Fig. (a) Manhattan Press

Fig. (b)

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 174)

v 2 = 2r 1. The equation tan = gr g is very useful in answering questions about circular motion. 2. The vertical angle is independent of the mass m. 3. A specific vertical angle is ideal for one speed only.
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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 174)

Q: (a) A pendulum bob moves in a horizontal circle with constant angular velocity as shown in the figure. Find, in terms of m, , and g, (i) the centripetal force acting on the bob, (ii) the tension T in the string, and (iii) the angle .

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 175)

Q: (b) A student suggests that the value of g can be determined by measuring the period t of the revolution of the bob for various values of . (i) Find an expression for t in terms of , g and . (ii) Suggest a graph which could be used to obtain the value of g. (iii) Discuss critically whether this is a good method for the determination of g.
Solution

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 175)

Solution : (a) (i) Centripetal force (Fc) = mr2 = msin 2 (ii) Horizontal component of T, T sin = Fc = msin 2 T = m2 (iii) Vertical component of T, Tcos = mg
cos = mg g = T 2

g = cos 1 2

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5.2 Centripetal acceleration and force (SB p. 175)

Solution (contd) :

g (b) (i) From (a)(iii), = cos Period (t ) = 2 = 2 cos g (ii) Graph of t 2 against cos is plotted. 2 4 cos 2 From (i), t = g 2 2 t 4 Gradient of graph (m) = = cos g 2 4 g= m

(iii) It is not a good method of determining g because it is difficult to maintain the angle at a fixed value, and it is difficult to measure the angle . Return to Manhattan Press

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