P3.2.4 Circular motion

Question 1

What happens when an object travels in a circle / takes a corner?

Answer 1

The object accelerates as it is constantly changing direction.

Question 2

What is the centripetal force?

Answer 2

The resultant force of an object that pulls it towards the centre of the circle, preventing it from moving in a straight line and keeping it in circular motion.

Question 3

How does the mass of an object affect the centripetal force?

Answer 3

Increasing the mass of the object increases the centripetal force required to keep the object in circular motion.

Question 4

How does the speed of an object affect the centripetal force?

Answer 4

A greater speed means that the object experiences a larger change in direction in the same time period.

This increases the acceleration of the object and therefore a larger resultant centripetal force is required to keep the object in circular motion.

Question 5

How does the radius of the circle affect the centripetal force?

Answer 5

A smaller radius means the circle will have a smaller circumference. Therefore, the object will have a larger change in direction in the same time period.

This increases the acceleration of the object and therefore a larger resultant centripetal force is required to keep the object in circular motion.