Uniform Circular Motion - Overview, Structure, Properties & Uses

Uniform Circular Motion - Definition, Examples, Diagram, Characteristic, Examples, FAQs

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jun 14, 2022 04:56 PM IST

Circular Motion:

Circular Motion Definition: In physics, a body is said to be performing circular motion, if it moves only in a circular path. For example, If a boy is running on a circular track then, motion performed by the boy is said to be circular motion.

Circular Motion Examples:

Some of most common examples of circular motion in our everyday life are listed as:

When athletes run in a circular track, the motion performed by athletes is circular motion.
Planets revolving around the sun is also an example of circular motion.
The blades of the ceiling fan move in circular motion.

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Circular Motion:
Circular Motion Examples:
Define Uniform Circular Motion:
Characteristic of uniform circular motion:
Examples of Uniform Circular motion:

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Circular motion diagram:

When a body moves along a circular path of fixed radius, the circular motion diagram of the body can simply be shown as

Circular motion

(Source: Self-Drawn using Geogebra)

Related Topic Link - Projectile Motion

Define Uniform Circular Motion:

Uniform circular motion definition: When a body moves in a circular path but with constant value of speed, the motion governed by the body is said to be uniform circular motion. But velocity of a body in uniform circular motion changes at every instant of the motion.

Uniform circular motion diagram:

Body moving with constant speed in a circular path having uniform circular motion can be shown as:

Uniform circular motion

(Source: Self-Drawn using Geogebra)

Characteristic of uniform circular motion:

Some of important points of uniform circular motion are listed as:

The speed of a particle moving in uniform circular motions is always the same.
The velocity of a particle performing uniform circular motion is in the direction of tangent at that point and velocity changes at every instant of motion.
The force acting on a particle towards the centre of the circular path is called centripetal force.
The acceleration of a particle performing uniform circular motion has only a radial component.
The tangential component of acceleration of uniform circular motion is always zero.

Acceleration of uniform circular motion:

When a body performs a uniform circular motion, then only the radial acceleration acts on the body which is in the direction towards the centre. If a particle performing uniform circular motion in a circular path having radius of r and speed v then, acceleration acting on the particle is given by a=v2r.

Characteristic of acceleration of uniform circular motion:

Some of important points related to acceleration of a particle performing uniform circular motion are listed as:

The direction of acceleration is always towards the centre of the circular path followed by the particle.
The acceleration has a constant value as it performs uniform circular motion.
Acceleration of uniform circular motion inversely proportional to radius of circular path.
Acceleration of uniform circular motion directly proportional to the square of the speed of the particle.
Acceleration directed towards the centre of the circular path following uniform circular motion is known as radial acceleration.
There is no tangential component of acceleration of a particle performing uniform circular motion.

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Force acting on a particle performing Uniform circular motion:

The force which acts on a particle performing uniform circular motion always acts in the direction towards the centre of the circular path and this force is known as Centripetal force.

F=mv2r.

Characteristic of Force in Uniform circular motion:

Some of most common points to be noted of centripetal force are listed as:

The Centripetal force has a constant magnitude in uniform circular motion.
The direction of centripetal force in uniform circular motion is always towards the centre of the circular path.
Centripetal force is directly proportional to acceleration of uniform circular motion and mass of the particle.

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Time period of uniform circular motion:

The time taken by a particle performing uniform circular motion in order to cover the total circumference of the circular path is known as the time period of uniform circular motion.

If r, v be the radius of circular path, speed of a particle performing uniform circular motion then, circumference of the circular path is 2πr and if T denoted for time period of uniform circular motion, then T=2πrv.

Characteristic of Time period of uniform circular motion:

Some of important points of time period of a particle performing uniform circular motion are listed as:

The value of the time period of uniform circular motion is always constant.
Time period of uniform circular motion is directly proportional to the radius of the circular path followed by the particle.
Time period of uniform circular motion is inversely proportional to the speed of the particle.

Examples of Uniform Circular motion:

Some of most common examples of a particle performing uniform circular motion are listed as:

The motion of blades of a ceiling fan moving with constant speed is an example of uniform circular motion.
The motion of atomic particles such as electrons moving around the nucleus in its fixed orbit is also an example of uniform circular motion.
The motion of heavenly bodies in the universe rotating about each other due to gravitational force of attraction in fixed orbit is also an example of uniform circular motion.
The artificial satellites which when released in their orbit around the earth also perform uniform circular motion.
Any object which moves with constant speed and moves in a circular path will be considered as uniform circular motion.

Also check-

NCERT Physics Notes:

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

1. What is uniform circular motion?

In physics, when a body moves in any circular path but of fixed radius and moves with constant value of speed, then the motion performed by such bodies are referred to as uniform circular motion. Examples of uniform circular motion are such as: a boy moving in circular ground with constant speed, the motion of atomic particles such as electrons in an atom in its orbit is also an example of uniform circular motion.

2. A particle is constantly moving in a circular path of radius 5m and have a speed of 2ms-1. Is it a uniform circular motion. If yes, what’s the acceleration of such uniform circular motion?

According to definition, a particle performing uniform circular motion must have fixed radius of circular path and it must move with constant speed, so we have given that particle is moving in circular path having fixed radius of r=5m and constant speed v=2ms-1. So, yes, particles are performing uniform circular motion. Acceleration of uniform circular motion is given by a=v2r on putting the values, we get, acceleration of uniform circular motion is a=45=0.8ms-2.

3. When a particle moves in a circle with uniform speed, the type motion is (A) Non-Linear motion (B) Non-Uniform Motion (C) Translational motion (D) Uniform Circular motion

According to the definition of uniform circular motion, if a body is moving in any circular path and moving with uniform speed then, motion performed by the body is known as uniform circular motion. Hence, the correct option is (D) Uniform circular motion.

4. In a uniform circular motion, what is constant? (A) Velocity (B) Speed (C) Radius (D) Time period

For a particle performing uniform circular motion, it must have constant speed and constant radius and the time period of uniform circular motion is also constant. It’s only velocity which keeps changing its direction at every instant of motion. So correct options are (B), (C), and (D).

5. State a most important characteristic of uniform circular motion.

The most important point of a particle performing uniform circular motion is that the magnitude of speed is always constant. but remember, the velocity changes at every instant of motion as velocity is a vector quantity and the direction of velocity is tangential to the point on circular path, which keeps changing at every instant, So, the fixed value of speed of a particle moving in circular path is the important characteristic of uniform circular motion.