Motion in a plane contd.
CIRCULAR MOTION
The motion of a particle along the circumference of a circle is called circular motion Examples of circular
motion
1. Motion of earth and other planets around the sun
2. Motion electrons round the nucleus of an atom
3. Motion of second hand ,minute hand and hour hand of a clock etc.
Position vector or radius vector :
The vector drawn from the centre of the circular path to the position of particle on the circumference of
circle is called radius vector or position vector . It is directed away from the centre of the circular path .
Angular displacement (θ ):
The angle swept out by the radius vector in a given time at the centre of the circle is called angular
displacement
When the particle performing circular motion moves from A to B in a short interval of time δt ,describes
δs
δθ=
an arc of length δs. The angle traced by the radius vector r at the centre of the circle is given by r
The unit of angular displacement is radian
It is a dimensionless quantity
The direction of angular displacement is given by right hand rule . If the curled fingers of the right hand
are in the direction of motion of the particle performing circular motion , then the outstretched thumb
represents the direction of angular displacement
Angular velocity( ω)
It is defined as the rate of change of angular displacement with respect to time .
Consider a body performing circular motion along a circle of radius r in anticlockwise sense . let δθ be
the angular displacement in time δt
δθ
ω = δt
⃗
The average angular velocity
δt →0
When the time interval the limiting value of the average velocity is called instantaneous angular
velocity
δ ⃗θ
⃗ =lim
ω
δt →0 δt
d ⃗θ
⃗=
ω
Instantaneous angular velocity dt
θ
ω=
t
Also finite angular velocity
The S.I unit of angular velocity is rad/s
[ M 0 L0 T −1 ]
The dimensional formula for angular velocity
The direction of angular velocity is given by the right hand rule . If the curled fingers of the right hand
are in the direction of motion of particle performing circular motion , then the direction of outstretched
thumb gives the direction angular velocity . If the body is rotating anticlockwise it is directed outwards
and if the body is rotating clockwise it is directed inwards . i.e it is perpendicular to the plane of the
circular path and passing through its centre .
Angular acceleration(α) ;
It is defined as the rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time
Let ω1 and ω2 be the angular velocity of a particle performing circular motion at instants t1 and t2
respectively
ω 2−ω 1 ⃗
δω
α=
⃗ =
Average angular acceleration t 2 −t t δt
δω⃗ dω ⃗
α= lim =
δt →0 δt dt
Instantaneous angular acceleration
The S.I unit of angular acceleration is rad/s2
The dimensional formula is : [ M L T ]
0 0 −2
Angular acceleration is a vector quantity whose direction given by the right hand rule ie. same as that of
angular displacement and angular velocity . If angular velocity increases with time , angular acceleration
and angular velocity are in the same direction . If angular velocity decreases with time , angular
acceleration and angular velocity are in opposite direction
Time period : The time taken by a particle to complete one revolution along its circular path is called its
period of revolution
Frequency :It is defined as the number of revolutions completed in unit time
Frequency f = 1/ T
Relation between angular velocity ,linear velocity and frequency
Time taken to complete one revolution by a particle t= T
The angular displacement in one revolution Ɵ= 2π
2π
=2 πf
Angular velocity ω = Ɵ /t = T
Relation between linear velocity and angular velocity :
Consider a particle moving along the circumference of a circle of radius r as shown in figure . Let the
particle moves from A to B in time δt . Let δs be the linear displacement and δθ be the corresponding
angular displacement .
δ ⃗s =δ ⃗θ×⃗r
From figure
Dividing both the sides by δt , we get
δ ⃗s δ ⃗θ
= ×⃗r
δt δt
Taking the limit δt →0 on both the sides ,
lim (δδt⃗s )= lim ( δδt⃗θ )×⃗r
δt →0 δt→0
but lim ( δsδt )=⃗v
δt→0
and lim (δθδt )=ω⃗
δt →0
⃗v =ω×⃗
⃗ r
v = rω sinƟ
the angle between r and ω is 900 , sin900 = 1
v=rω
Uniform circular motion
The periodic motion of a particle along the circumference of a circle with constant speed or constant
angular velocity
The particle covers equal distance along the circumference of the circle in equal interval of time
In [Link] since angular velocity is constant , angular acceleration α is zero
Eg. Motion of the earth round the sun
Motion of the tip of minute hand of a clock
In U.C.M. , speed , magnitude radial acceleration , kinetic energy , angular momentum , magnitude of
linear momentum remains constant .
State the characteristics of circular motion
1. It is a periodic motion . In circular motion , the body repeats its path at regular intervals of time
2. It is an accelerated motion . In uniform circular motion , even though the speed is constant ,the
direction of velocity goes on changing .Therefore circular motion is always accelerated .
Justify that a uniform circular motion is an accelerated motion
In uniform circular motion , the speed of the body remains constant but the direction of motion changes
at every point .Thus the velocity goes on changing due to the continuous change in the direction of
motion of the body . As the rate of change of velocity is acceleration , so a uniform circular motion is an
accelerated motion
Acceleration in uniform circular motion ( Radial acceleration )
Consider a particle moving along the circumference of a circle of radius r with a constant angular
velocity ω. Let the body moves from A to P in t seconds and Ɵ be the corresponding angular
displacement .
1. By the triangle law of vector addition , the position vector ⃗r =x ⃗i + y ⃗j
x=r cosθ=r cosωt
2. But y=rsin θ=r sin ωt
3. ⃗r =r cos ωt ⃗i +r sin ωt ⃗j -------(1)
4. Differentiating ⃗
r w.r.t time
dr
=−rω sin ωt ⃗i +rω cosωt ⃗j
dt
∴v=−rωsin ωt ⃗i +rωcos ωt ⃗j --------(2)
5. Differentiating ⃗
v w.r.t time , we get
dv
=−rω2 cosωt ⃗i +(−rω2 )sin ωt ⃗j
dt
∴⃗a =−ω 2 ( r cosωt ⃗i +r sin ωt ⃗j )
∴⃗a =−ω 2 ⃗r
Negative sign shows that the direction of ⃗
a is opposite to that of ⃗
r . We know that r⃗ is acting away
from the centre along the radius . ∴ a⃗ is acting towards the centre along the radius and is called
v
v=rω∴ ω=
r
v2
∴ a=− r
r2
v2
∴ a=−
radial acceleration or centripetal acceleration r
Centripetal acceleration : When a body is in circular motion an acceleration is acting towards the
centre along the radius and is called centripetal acceleration or radial acceleration
Conical Pendulum
Conical pendulum is a pendulum which is given such a motion that , the bob describes a
horizontal circle and the string describes a cone .
Derive an expression for linear speed of bob of the conical pendulum
Consider a conical pendulum of length L suspended from a rigid support Let m be the
mass of the bob which is moving with a speed v in a horizontal circle of radius r . Let θ be
the semi vertical angle of the cone .
1. The forces acting on the bob at the position P are
(a) The weight of the bob (mg) acting vertically downwards
(b) The tension in the string ( T 0 )
2. The tension in the string can be resolved into two components
(a) The vertical component (T O cosθ)balances the weight (mg) of the bob
(b) The horizontal component (T O sinθ ) which provides the necessary centripetal force for the
bob to perform circular motion
3 T O cosθ= mg (1)
2
T O sinθ = m v (2)
r
dividing ( 2 ) by ( 1 ) we get ,
2
v
tanθ=
rg
2
v =rgtanθ
v=√ rgtanθ
This is the linear speed of the bob a conical pendulum .
Define period of a conical pendulum . Derive an expression for the time period of
a conical pendulum
The time period of a conical pendulum is the time taken by the bob to complete one revolution
in a horizontal circle with constant speed .
1. Consider a conical pendulum of length L suspended from a rigid support Let m be the mass of
the bob which is moving with a speed v in a horizontal circle of radius r . Let θ be the semi
vertical angle of the cone .
2. The forces acting on the bob at the position P are
(c) The weight of the bob (mg) acting vertically downwards
(d) The tension in the string ( T 0 )
3. The tension in the string can be resolved into two components
(c) The vertical component (T O cosθ)balances the weight (mg) of the bob
(d) The horizontal component (T O sinθ ) which provides the necessary centripetal force for the
bob to perform circular motion
4. T O cosθ= mg (1)
2
T O sinθ=mr ω (2)
dividing ( 2 ) by ( 1 ) , we get
2
sinθ r w
=
cosθ g
ω 2=
gsinθ
rcosθ
∴ ω=
gsinθ
rcosθ √
2π
But ω= and r = L sinθ
T
2π
T
=
√ gsinθ
L sinθcosθ
T =2 π
√ Lcosθ
g
