What is Circular motion: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In physics, circular motion is a movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path. It can be uniform, with constant angular rate of rotation and constant speed, or non-uniform with a changing rate of rotation. The rotation around a fixed axis of a three-dimensional body involves circular motion of its parts. The equations of motion describe the movement of the center of mass of a body. In circular motion, the distance between the body and a fixed point on the surface remains the same.
Examples of circular motion include: an artificial satellite orbiting the Earth at a constant height, a ceiling fan's blades rotating around a hub, a stone which is tied to a rope and is being swung in circles, a car turning through a curve in a race track, an electron moving perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field, and a gear turning inside a mechanism.
Since the object's velocity vector is constantly changing direction, the moving object is undergoing acceleration by a centripetal force in the direction of the center of rotation. Without this acceleration, the object would move in a straight line, according to Newton's laws of motion.

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  1. S

    Special relativity- Uniform circular motion.

    Homework Statement Imagine two clocks that both perform uniform circular motion of radius a in the x-y plane, but in opposite directions: xμ(u) ={t, a cos(ωt),±a sin(ωt), 0}. Suppose these clocks are synchronized to agree when they are coincident at x = a at t = 0. How much time elapses until...
  2. F

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  4. B

    What happens in non-uniform circular motion?

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  5. E

    Uniform circular motion particle problem

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  6. J

    Need Help with Newton's equation and circular motion

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  7. S

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  8. Q

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  9. S

    Circular Motion, Massless String - Swinging Rock

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  10. M

    How does an object undergo circular motion on a non-circular trajectory?

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  11. I

    Finding the Tension in a Rope (Circular motion)

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  12. J

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  13. N

    Proving the Motion of Point P: Vertical or Elliptical?

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  14. D

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  15. T

    Uniform circular motion with constant upward velocity.

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  16. P

    Circular Motion, Gravity, Muddy Wheel

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  17. A

    Radius as a function of Uniform Circular Motion

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  18. C

    Circular Motion: angle that the airplane makes with horizon?

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  20. E

    Uniform Circular Motion - Finding Fc/Ft without mass

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  21. H

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  22. A

    Circular motion x, y acceleration

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  23. A

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  25. Z

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  29. J

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  30. L

    Simple magnetic field circular motion problem

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  31. U

    Circular Motion Dynamics. Car traveling in vertical circle

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  32. A

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  34. P

    Circular Motion - RPM and Radius question

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    Energy combined with Circular Motion

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    Circular motion, unbalanced-balanced forces

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  37. M

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  38. S

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  40. W

    Uniform Circular Motion of a race car

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  41. D

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  42. C

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  43. U

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  44. A

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  45. D

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  46. G

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  47. W

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  48. L

    Need Help - Regarding the mixture of circular motion and hooke's law

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  49. L

    Radial force on a particle with circular motion

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  50. P

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