Circular Motion Terms
Non-Uniform Circular Motion
Circular motion that involves a change in speed during a time interval
Centripetal Acceleration Symbol: ac Unit: m/s^2
component of the acceleration that changes the direction of the velocity - directed to center of circle
Tangential Velocity Symbol: v(t) Unit: m/s
linear speed of an object moving along a circular path
Tangential Acceleration Symbol: aT Unit: m/s^2
measuring if the tangential velocity is speeding up or slowing down
Speed Symbol: v Unit: m/s
the distance an object travels with respect to time (scalar quantity)
Net Force Symbol: ΣF Unit: Newtons (N)
the force needed to hold an object in a circular path Other name: Centripetal force
Uniform Circular Motion
the movement of an object at a constant speed around a circle with a fixed radius - not constant velocity
Frequency Symbol: f Unit: Hertz (Hz or 1/s)
the number of revolutions per second other name: cycles per second
Angular acceleration Symbol: a (alpha) Unit: rad/s^2
the rate of change of the angular velocity
Period Symbol: T Unit: seconds (s)
the time it takes for one complete revolution
Angular velocity Symbol: W (omega) Unit: rad/s
The angular displacement of an object divided by the change in time
Centripetal Force Symbol: Fc Unit: Newtons (N)
a force that acts on a body moving in a circular path and is directed toward the center around which the body is moving
Radial Direction
along a direction pointing along a radius from the center of an object
Tangential Direction
along the direction of the tangent line perpendicular to the radial direction
