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    • Unit 1: One Dimensional Motion: Physics Introduction
    • Unit 2: Two Dimensional Motion: Projectile and Non-Projectile
    • Unit 3: Newton’s Laws of Motion and Force
    • Unit 4: Universal Gravitation and Circular Motion
    • Unit 5: Work, Power, Mechanical Energy, and Simple Machines
    • Unit 6: Momentum Impulse and Conservation of Momentum
    • Unit 7: Electrostatics
    • Unit 8: Current and Circuits
    • Unit 9: Magnets and Magnetism
    • Unit 10: Waves
    • Unit 11: Electromagnetic Waves
    • Unit 12: Nuclear Physics
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Circular Motion Problem Solutions

See a variety of circular motion problems and solutions. Solve for centripetal force, tangential velocity, centripetal acceleration and more.

greater radius greater tangental velocity

1. What would happen to the centripetal force required to keep an object going in a circle if the radius of a circle was doubled?

circular motion problem 1

2. How many times the centripetal force would you have if a car slowed from 60 mph to 20 mph going around a curve?

 

60 -> 20 mph = 20/60 = 1/3 the speed

circular motion problem 2

 

3. Kent spins in his chair with a frequency of 0.5 Hz. What is the period of his spin?

 

F = 0.5 Hz

T = 1/f =1/0.5 = 2 s

 

4. A record takes 1.3 s to make one complete rotation. An object on this record is 0.12 m from the center.  What is its velocity?

 

T = 1.3 s

r = 0.12 m

V = ?

 

circular motion problem 3

 

5a. The pilot of a 60,500 kg jet plane is flying in circles whose radius is 5.00 x 104 m.  It takes 1.8 x 103 s to make one rotation.  What is the velocity of the plane?

 

m = 60,500 kg

r =  5.00 x 104 m

T = 1.8 x 103 s

circular motion problem 5a

 

5b. The pilot of a 60,500 kg jet plane is flying in circles whose radius is 5.00 x 104 m.  It takes 1.8 x 103 s to make one rotation.  How much centripetal force would there be?

 

m = 60,500 kg

r =  5.00 x 104 m

T = 1.8 x 103 s

v =175 m/s

circular motion problem 5b

 

6. What is the centripetal acceleration of a bike traveling a tangential speed of 8 meters per second in a circle that has a radius of 5 meters?

 

aC = ?

v = 8 m/s

r = 5 m

circular motion problem 6

Links:

  • Back to the Circular Motion Page
  • Back to the main Universal Gravitation and Circular Motion Page
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Unit 1: One Dimensional Motion
Unit 2: 2D Motion
Unit 3: Newton’s Laws and Force
Unit 4: Universal Gravitation and Circular Motion
Unit 5: Work, Power, Mechanical Advantage, and Simple Machines
Unit 6: Momentum, Impulse, and Conservation of Momentum
Unit 7: Electrostatics
Unit 8: Current and Circuits
Unit 9: Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Unit 10: Intro to Waves
Unit 11: Electromagnetic Waves
Unit 12: Nuclear Physics

AP Physics 1 Pages (Deeper Dive into Concepts)

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