Unit 4 Circular Motion Flashcards

Front

What is circular motion?

Back

Circular motion describes the movement of an object along a circular path, common in everyday life, such as a spinning ceiling fan or planets orbiting the sun.

Front

What is centripetal force?

Back

Centripetal force is the force that keeps an object moving in a circle, acting towards the center of the circle. It is necessary to maintain the circular path.

Front

How does centripetal force work in a practical example?

Back

When swinging a ball on a string, the tension in the string provides the centripetal force needed to keep the ball moving in a circle.

Front

What is angular velocity?

Back

Angular velocity measures how fast an object rotates around a circle, usually expressed in degrees per second.

Front

What role does inertia play in circular motion?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. In circular motion, it causes an object to want to continue in a straight line, but centripetal force pulls it towards the center.

Front

How does mass affect centripetal force?

Back

The centripetal force required to keep an object moving in a circular path increases with the mass of the object. The formula for centripetal force is F = m × v² / r, where m is mass, v is velocity, and r is the radius of the circle.

Front

What happens to an object in circular motion if the centripetal force is removed?

Back

If the centripetal force is removed, the object will move in a straight line tangent to the circle at the point of release, due to inertia.

Front

What is centripetal acceleration?

Back

Centripetal acceleration is the rate of change of tangential velocity of an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It is given by the formula a = v² / r, where v is the velocity and r is the radius of the circle.

Front

What is the difference between centripetal and centrifugal force?

Back

Centripetal force is the real force that acts on an object moving in a circle, directed towards the center. Centrifugal force is the apparent force that seems to push an object outward when it is in a rotating frame of reference, but it is not a real force.

Front

What is the relationship between radius and centripetal force?

Back

The centripetal force required is inversely proportional to the radius of the circle. As the radius (r) increases, the force (F) needed decreases, according to the formula F = m × v² / r.