What is Uniform Circular Motion? (UCM) Formulas, Examples

 Uniform Circular Motion

When a particle perform any type of motion, the direction of velocity and acceleration decides the types of motion. Let us study types of circular motion.

When a particle moves along the circumference of the circle, the direction of velocity is always tangent to the point where the particle is. When the particle perform circular motion with constant speed, it is called as uniform circular motion. During uniform circular motion, the direction of velocity changes and it is only due to radial acceleration or centripetal acceleration which acts toward the centre and perpendicular to the tangential velocity. It is always directed towards the centre and taken as negative.One  can understand this in better way using figure A.

Fig A. Uniform Circular Motion

Mathematically , Centripetal acceleration is given by,

a_cp = ω²r 

a_cp = vω

a_cp = v²/r

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Non-Uniform Circular Motion

When the particle performing circular motion keeps changing its speed , it is called as non-uniform circular motion. During non-uniform circular motion, the  magnitude of  velocity keeps on changing  and it is only due to tangential acceleration  which acts opposite or in same direction to that of tangential velocity .One  can understand this in better way using figure B.

Fig B . Non Uniform Circular Motion

│<<<Circular Motion││Centripetal and Centrifugal Force>>>│

Related topics : Rotational dynamics     Uniform circular motion     Centripetal force  vehicle on horizontal curve road    well of death     banking of road     vertical circular motion    conical pendulum     kinetic energy of rotating body   moment of inertia   parallel axis theorem    perpendicular axis theorem   application of moment of inertia   Angular momentum   torque   conservation of angular momentum

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