Circular Motion

1. [1 mark]

A horizontal disc rotates uniformly at a constant angular velocity about a central axis normal to the
plane of the disc.

Point X is a distance 2L from the centre of the disc. Point Y is a distance L from the centre of the
disc. Point Y has a linear speed v and a centripetal acceleration a.

What is the linear speed and centripetal acceleration of point X?

2. [1 mark]

An object of constant mass is tied to the end of a rope of length l and made to move in a horizontal
circle. The speed of the object is increased until the rope breaks at speed v. The length of the rope
is then changed. At what other combination of rope length and speed will the rope break?

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3. [1 mark]

Two satellites of mass m and 2m orbit a planet at the same orbit radius. If F is the force exerted on
the satellite of mass m by the planet and a is the centripetal acceleration of this satellite, what is the
force and acceleration of the satellite with mass 2m?

4. [1 mark]

A small ball of weight W is attached to a string and moves in a vertical circle of radius R.

What is the smallest kinetic energy of the ball at position X for the ball to maintain the circular
motion with radius R?

A.

B. W R

C. 2 W R

D.

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5a. [2 marks]

The diagram below shows part of a downhill ski course which starts at point A, 50 m above level
ground. Point B is 20 m above level ground.

A skier of mass 65 kg starts from rest at point A and during the ski course some of the gravitational
potential energy transferred to kinetic energy.

From A to B, 24 % of the gravitational potential energy transferred to kinetic energy. Show that the
velocity at B is 12 m s–1.

5b. [2 marks]

Some of the gravitational potential energy transferred into internal energy of the skis, slightly
increasing their temperature. Distinguish between internal energy and temperature.

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5c. [2 marks]

The dot on the following diagram represents the skier as she passes point B.
Draw and label the vertical forces acting on the skier.

5d. [3 marks]

The hill at point B has a circular shape with a radius of 20 m. Determine whether the skier will lose
contact with the ground at point B.

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5e. [3 marks]

The skier reaches point C with a speed of 8.2 m s–1. She stops after a distance of 24 m at point D.

Determine the coefficient of dynamic friction between the base of the skis and the snow. Assume
that the frictional force is constant and that air resistance can be neglected.

5f. [2 marks]

At the side of the course flexible safety nets are used. Another skier of mass 76 kg falls normally
into the safety net with speed 9.6 m s–1.

Calculate the impulse required from the net to stop the skier and state an appropriate unit for your
answer.

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5g. [2 marks]

Explain, with reference to change in momentum, why a flexible safety net is less likely to harm the
skier than a rigid barrier.

6a. [2 marks]

A glider is an aircraft with no engine. To be launched, a glider is uniformly accelerated from rest by
a cable pulled by a motor that exerts a horizontal force on the glider throughout the launch.

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 The glider reaches its launch speed of 27.0 m s–1 after accelerating for 11.0 s. Assume that the
glider moves horizontally until it leaves the ground. Calculate the total distance travelled by the
glider before it leaves the ground.

6b. [3 marks]

The glider and pilot have a total mass of 492 kg. During the acceleration the glider is subject to an
average resistive force of 160 N. Determine the average tension in the cable as the glider
accelerates.

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6c. [3 marks]

The cable is pulled by an electric motor. The motor has an overall efficiency of 23 %. Determine the
average power input to the motor.

6d. [2 marks]

The cable is wound onto a cylinder of diameter 1.2 m. Calculate the angular velocity of the cylinder
at the instant when the glider has a speed of 27 m s–1. Include an appropriate unit for your answer.
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6e. [2 marks]

After take-off the cable is released and the unpowered glider moves horizontally at constant speed.
The wings of the glider provide a lift force. The diagram shows the lift force acting on the glider and
the direction of motion of the glider.

Draw the forces acting on the glider to complete the free-body diagram. The dotted lines show the
horizontal and vertical directions.

6f. [2 marks]

Explain, using appropriate laws of motion, how the forces acting on the glider maintain it in level
flight.

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6g. [3 marks]

At a particular instant in the flight the glider is losing 1.00 m of vertical height for every 6.00 m that it
goes forward horizontally. At this instant, the horizontal speed of the glider is 12.5 m s–1. Calculate
the velocity of the glider. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

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7. [1 mark]

An object at the end of a wooden rod rotates in a vertical circle at a constant angular velocity. What
is correct about the tension in the rod?

A. It is greatest when the object is at the bottom of the circle.

B. It is greatest when the object is halfway up the circle.
C. It is greatest when the object is at the top of the circle.
D. It is unchanged throughout the motion.

8. [1 mark]

A mass connected to one end of a rigid rod rotates at constant speed in a vertical plane about the
other end of the rod.

The force exerted by the rod on the mass is

A. zero everywhere.

B. constant in magnitude.

C. always directed towards the centre.

D. a minimum at the top of the circular path.

9. [1 mark]

Planet X has mass M and radius R. Planet Y has mass 2M and radius 3R. The gravitational field
strength at the surface of planet X is g. What is the gravitational field strength at the surface of
planet Y?

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 A.

B.

C.

D.

10a. [3 marks]

This question is about gravitation and uniform circular motion.

Phobos, a moon of Mars, has an orbital period of 7.7 hours and an orbital radius of .

Outline why Phobos moves with uniform circular motion.

10b. [2 marks]

Show that the orbital speed of Phobos is about .

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10c. [3 marks]

Deduce the mass of Mars.

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11. [1 mark]

A mass is suspended by a string from a fixed point. The mass moves with constant speed along a
circular path in a horizontal plane.

The resultant force acting on the mass is

A. zero.

B. directed upwards along the string.

C. directed towards the centre of the circular path.

D. in the same direction as the velocity of the mass.

12. [1 mark]

An electron moves with uniform circular motion in a region of magnetic field. Which diagram shows
the acceleration a and velocity v of the electron at point P?

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13. [1 mark]

An object rotates in a horizontal circle when acted on by a centripetal force F. What is the
centripetal force acting on the object when the radius of the circle doubles and the kinetic energy of
the object halves?

A.

B.

C. F

D. 4F

14. [1 mark]

An object rotates in a horizontal circle when acted on by a centripetal force F. What is the
centripetal force acting on the object when the radius of the circle doubles and the kinetic energy of
the object halves?

A.

B.

C. F

D. 4F

15. [1 mark]

The maximum speed with which a car can take a circular turn of radius R is v. The maximum speed
with which the same car, under the same conditions, can take a circular turn of radius 2R is

A. 2v.

B. .
C. 4v.

D. .

16. [1 mark]

Two particles, X and Y, are attached to the surface of a horizontally mounted turntable.
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 The turntable rotates uniformly about a vertical axis. The magnitude of the linear velocity of X is v
and the magnitude of its acceleration is a. Which of the following correctly compares the magnitude
of the velocity of Y and the magnitude of the acceleration of Y with v and a respectively?

17a. [2 marks]

This question is in two parts. Part 1 is about two children on a merry-go-round. Part 2 is about
electric circuits.

Part 1 Two children on a merry-go-round

Aibhe and Euan are sitting on opposite sides of a merry-go-round, which is rotating at constant
speed around a fixed centre. The diagram below shows the view from above.

Aibhe is moving at speed 1.0ms–1 relative to the ground.

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 Determine the magnitude of the velocity of Aibhe relative to

(i) Euan.

(ii) the centre of the merry-go-round.

17b. [6 marks]

(i) Outline why Aibhe is accelerating even though she is moving at constant speed.

(ii) Draw an arrow on the diagram on page 22 to show the direction in which Aibhe is accelerating.

(iii) Identify the force that is causing Aibhe to move in a circle.

(iv) The diagram below shows a side view of Aibhe and Euan on the merry-go-round.

Explain why Aibhe feels as if her upper body is being “thrown outwards”, away from the centre of
the merry-go-round.

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17c. [2 marks]

Euan is rotating on a merry-go-round and drags his foot along the ground to act as a brake. The
merry-go-round comes to a stop after 4.0 rotations. The radius of the merry-go-round is 1.5 m. The
average frictional force between his foot and the ground is 45 N. Calculate the work done.

17d. [5 marks]

Aibhe moves so that she is sitting at a distance of 0.75 m from the centre of the merry-go-round, as
shown below.

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 Euan pushes the merry-go-round so that he is again moving at 1.0 ms–1 relative to the ground.

(i) Determine Aibhe’s speed relative to the ground.

(ii) Calculate the magnitude of Aibhe’s acceleration.

18a. [4 marks]

This question is in two parts. Part 1 is about the motion of a car. Part 2 is about electricity.

Part 1 Motion of a car

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 A car accelerates uniformly along a straight horizontal road from an initial speed of to a
final speed of in a distance of 250 m. The mass of the car is 1200 kg. Determine the rate
at which the engine is supplying kinetic energy to the car as it accelerates.

18b. [5 marks]

A car is travelling along the straight horizontal road at its maximum speed of . The power
output required at the wheels is 0.13 MW.

(i) Calculate the total resistive force acting on the car when it is travelling at a constant speed of
.

(ii) The mass of the car is 1200 kg. The resistive force is related to the speed by . Using
your answer to (b)(i), determine the maximum theoretical acceleration of the car at a speed of
.

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18c. [6 marks]

A driver moves the car in a horizontal circular path of radius 200 m. Each of the four tyres will not
grip the road if the frictional force between a tyre and the road becomes less than 1500 N.

(i) Calculate the maximum speed of the car at which it can continue to move in the circular path.
Assume that the radius of the path is the same for each tyre.

(ii) While the car is travelling around the circle, the people in the car have the sensation that they
are being thrown outwards. Outline how Newton’s first law of motion accounts for this sensation.

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19a. [4 marks]

Part 2 Orbital motion

A spaceship of mass m is moving at speed v in a circular orbit of radius r around a planet of mass
M.

(i) Identify the force that causes the centripetal acceleration of the spaceship.

(ii) Explain why astronauts inside the spaceship would feel “weightless”, even though there is a
force acting on them.

19b. [2 marks]

Deduce that the speed of the spaceship is .

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20a. [3 marks]

The car is travelling at its maximum speed of . At this speed, the energy provided by the
fuel injected into one cylinder in each cycle is 9200 J. One litre of fuel provides 56 MJ of energy.

(i) Calculate the volume of fuel injected into one cylinder during one cycle.

(ii) Each of the four cylinders completes a cycle 18 times every second. Calculate the distance the
car can travel on one litre of fuel at a speed of .

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20b. [4 marks]

A car accelerates uniformly along a straight horizontal road from an initial speed of to a
final speed of in a distance of 250 m. The mass of the car is 1200 kg. Determine the rate
at which the engine is supplying kinetic energy to the car as it accelerates.

20c. [5 marks]

A car is travelling along a straight horizontal road at its maximum speed of . The power
output required at the wheels is 0.13 MW.

(i) Calculate the total resistive force acting on the car when it is travelling at a constant speed of
.

(ii) The mass of the car is 1200 kg. The resistive force F is related to the speed v by . Using
your answer to (g)(i), determine the maximum theoretical acceleration of the car at a speed of
.

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20d. [6 marks]

A driver moves a car in a horizontal circular path of radius 200 m. Each of the four tyres will not grip
the road if the frictional force between a tyre and the road becomes less than 1500 N.

(i) Calculate the maximum speed of the car at which it can continue to move in the circular path.
Assume that the radius of the path is the same for each tyre.

(ii) While the car is travelling around the circle, the people in the car have the sensation that they
are being thrown outwards. Outline how Newton’s first law of motion accounts for this sensation.

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21. [1 mark]

A body moves with uniform speed around a circle of radius r. The period of the motion is T. What is
the speed of the body?

A.

B.

C. Zero

D.

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22. [1 mark]

A car on a road follows a horizontal circular path at constant speed. Which of the following correctly
identifies the origin and the direction of the net force on the car?

23a. [2 marks]

This question is about circular motion.

The diagram shows a car moving at a constant speed over a curved bridge. At the position shown,
the top surface of the bridge has a radius of curvature of 50 m.

Explain why the car is accelerating even though it is moving with a constant speed.

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23b. [2 marks]

On the diagram, draw and label the vertical forces acting on the car in the position shown.

23c. [3 marks]

Calculate the maximum speed at which the car will stay in contact with the bridge.

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