Circular Motion Flashcards
When an object spins in a circular motion, is velocity changing?
Direction is changing, therefore velocity changes
When an object spins in a circular motion, is there an acceleration?
Yes, acceleration is a change in velocity
What force is prevalent when an object spins in a circular motion?
Following Newton’s 1st law, there is a Centripetal force
What is a centripetal force?
Represents any force that is pulling the object into circular motion
Examples of centripetal force?
Tension in a string
Friction on car tires
As centripetal force increases, velocity…
Increases exponentially
Without centripetal force…
An object will continue moving in a straight line
In what direction does velocity act?
Tangent to the circle made by the object
Where does force (Fc) head toward?
Force heads towards the center of the circle
In what direction does Acceleration (ac) act?
Acceleration acts inward towards the center
(Fc) and (Ac) are…?
always pointing in the same direction
How to calculate centripetal acceleration?
ac= v^2
____
r
What does r represent in the centripetal acceleration equation?
Radius of the circle traveled by the object
What does v represent in the centripetal acceleration equation?
Velocity
