Uniform Circular Motion

Question 0

What provides the centripetal force for a car on a roundabout? And what happens if this force is below threshold ? Therefore what does this mean for the velocity?

Answer 0

Friction between the tyres and the road.
If below threshold, the car will skid and slip.
Therefore the velocity must be below threshold because V is proportional to F.

Question 1

What is uniform circular motion?

Answer 1

If an object is rotating at a steady rate, it is said to be in Uniform Circular Motion. (Linear velocity is constant)

Question 2

Which direction does the centripetal force act?

Answer 2

Towards the centre.

Question 3

What is a centripetal force?

Answer 3

A centre seeking force.

The tangential velocity is perpendicular to the centre seeking acceleration.

Question 4

Why are tracks banked around corners?

Answer 4

Banked corners allow the car to travel around the bend faster by increasing the centripetal force.
(Look at diagram on mind map)

Question 5

For two objects (one in SHM and one in UCM) what condition must be met if the acceleration is the same for both objects?

Answer 5

They must both have the same time period of oscillations.