Educator

Circular Motion, Part 1

• If an object attached to the end of a string moves in a horizontal circle, the other end being fixed, the tension in the string provides the necessary centripetal force.
• In a conical pendulum, the horizontal component of the tension provides the necessary centripetal force, while the vertical component balances the weight of the object.
• For a car negotiating a curve on a horizontal road, static friction provides the necessary centripetal force. If the car goes too fast so that the centripetal force exceeds the maximum value of the force of static friction, the car will skid.
• Roads are sometimes banked (raised at an angle) so as to lessen the dependence on static friction in providing the necessary centripetal force.