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Force & Uniform Circular Motion

  • For something to stay in a circle at a uniform speed, it must have an acceleration constantly pointing in to the center of the circle. The acceleration's magnitude is |a | = [(| v |2)/r]. This is called centripetal acceleration.
  • To have an acceleration, there must be a force. We know F = ma, so we can combine that with our centripetal acceleration formula to get a formula for centripetal force:
    F = m
    |

    v
     
    |2

    r
    .
  • The centripetal force on the object always points from the object to the center of the circle.
  • Centripetal force must be supplied by something. It must come from something else: a string, the rails of a roller coaster, etc.
  • Centripetal force is not a force in and of itself. It is a relationship that must be fulfilled by the net force on an object if the object is to remain in a circle.

Force & Uniform Circular Motion

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Physics (Theory and Application)