CHAPTER 6

Circular and Rotational Motion

Figure 6.1 This Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 race car moves in a circular path as it makes the turn. Its wheels
also spin rapidly. The same physical principles are involved in both of these motions. (Richard Munckton).

Chapter Outline

6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity

6.2 Uniform Circular Motion

6.3 Rotational Motion

INTRODUCTION You may recall learning about various aspects of motion along a straight line: kinematics (where we learned
about displacement, velocity, and acceleration), projectile motion (a special case of two-dimensional kinematics), force, and
Newton’s laws of motion. In some ways, this chapter is a continuation of Newton’s laws of motion. Recall that Newton’s first law
tells us that objects move along a straight line at constant speed unless a net external force acts on them. Therefore, if an object
moves along a circular path, such as the car in the photo, it must be experiencing an external force. In this chapter, we explore
both circular motion and rotational motion.
198 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity

Section Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
• Describe the angle of rotation and relate it to its linear counterpart
• Describe angular velocity and relate it to its linear counterpart
• Solve problems involving angle of rotation and angular velocity

Section Key Terms

angle of rotation angular velocity arc length circular motion

radius of curvature rotational motion spin tangential velocity

Angle of Rotation
What exactly do we mean by circular motion or rotation? Rotational motion is the circular motion of an object about an axis of
rotation. We will discuss specifically circular motion and spin. Circular motion is when an object moves in a circular path.
Examples of circular motion include a race car speeding around a circular curve, a toy attached to a string swinging in a circle
around your head, or the circular loop-the-loop on a roller coaster. Spin is rotation about an axis that goes through the center of
mass of the object, such as Earth rotating on its axis, a wheel turning on its axle, the spin of a tornado on its path of destruction,
or a figure skater spinning during a performance at the Olympics. Sometimes, objects will be spinning while in circular motion,
like the Earth spinning on its axis while revolving around the Sun, but we will focus on these two motions separately.

When solving problems involving rotational motion, we use variables that are similar to linear variables (distance, velocity,
acceleration, and force) but take into account the curvature or rotation of the motion. Here, we define the angle of rotation,
which is the angular equivalence of distance; and angular velocity, which is the angular equivalence of linear velocity.

When objects rotate about some axis—for example, when the CD in Figure 6.2 rotates about its center—each point in the object
follows a circular path.

Figure 6.2 All points on a CD travel in circular paths. The pits (dots) along a line from the center to the edge all move through the same
angle in time .

The arc length, , is the distance traveled along a circular path. The radius of curvature, r, is the radius of the circular path. Both
are shown in Figure 6.3.

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 6.1 • Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 199

Figure 6.3 The radius (r) of a circle is rotated through an angle . The arc length, , is the distance covered along the circumference.

Consider a line from the center of the CD to its edge. In a given time, each pit (used to record information) on this line moves
through the same angle. The angle of rotation is the amount of rotation and is the angular analog of distance. The angle of
rotation is the arc length divided by the radius of curvature.

The angle of rotation is often measured by using a unit called the radian. (Radians are actually dimensionless, because a radian
is defined as the ratio of two distances, radius and arc length.) A revolution is one complete rotation, where every point on the
circle returns to its original position. One revolution covers radians (or 360 degrees), and therefore has an angle of rotation
of radians, and an arc length that is the same as the circumference of the circle. We can convert between radians,
revolutions, and degrees using the relationship

1 revolution = rad = 360°. See Table 6.1 for the conversion of degrees to radians for some common angles.

6.1

Degree Measures Radian Measures

Table 6.1 Commonly Used Angles in Terms of

Degrees and Radians

Angular Velocity
How fast is an object rotating? We can answer this question by using the concept of angular velocity. Consider first the angular
speed is the rate at which the angle of rotation changes. In equation form, the angular speed is

6.2

which means that an angular rotation occurs in a time, . If an object rotates through a greater angle of rotation in a
given time, it has a greater angular speed. The units for angular speed are radians per second (rad/s).

Now let’s consider the direction of the angular speed, which means we now must call it the angular velocity. The direction of the
200 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

angular velocity is along the axis of rotation. For an object rotating clockwise, the angular velocity points away from you along
the axis of rotation. For an object rotating counterclockwise, the angular velocity points toward you along the axis of rotation.

Angular velocity (ω) is the angular version of linear velocity v. Tangential velocity is the instantaneous linear velocity of an
object in rotational motion. To get the precise relationship between angular velocity and tangential velocity, consider again a pit
on the rotating CD. This pit moves through an arc length in a short time so its tangential speed is

6.3

From the definition of the angle of rotation, , we see that . Substituting this into the expression for v gives

The equation says that the tangential speed v is proportional to the distance r from the center of rotation. Consequently,
tangential speed is greater for a point on the outer edge of the CD (with larger r) than for a point closer to the center of the CD
(with smaller r). This makes sense because a point farther out from the center has to cover a longer arc length in the same
amount of time as a point closer to the center. Note that both points will still have the same angular speed, regardless of their
distance from the center of rotation. See Figure 6.4.

Figure 6.4 Points 1 and 2 rotate through the same angle ( ), but point 2 moves through a greater arc length ( ) because it is farther
from the center of rotation.

Now, consider another example: the tire of a moving car (see Figure 6.5). The faster the tire spins, the faster the car moves—large
means large v because . Similarly, a larger-radius tire rotating at the same angular velocity, , will produce a greater
linear (tangential) velocity, v, for the car. This is because a larger radius means a longer arc length must contact the road, so the
car must move farther in the same amount of time.

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 6.1 • Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 201

Figure 6.5 A car moving at a velocity, v, to the right has a tire rotating with angular velocity . The speed of the tread of the tire relative to
the axle is v, the same as if the car were jacked up and the wheels spinning without touching the road. Directly below the axle, where the
tire touches the road, the tire tread moves backward with respect to the axle with tangential velocity , where r is the tire radius.
Because the road is stationary with respect to this point of the tire, the car must move forward at the linear velocity v. A larger angular
velocity for the tire means a greater linear velocity for the car.

However, there are cases where linear velocity and tangential velocity are not equivalent, such as a car spinning its tires on ice.
In this case, the linear velocity will be less than the tangential velocity. Due to the lack of friction under the tires of a car on ice,
the arc length through which the tire treads move is greater than the linear distance through which the car moves. It’s similar to
running on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike; you are literally going nowhere fast.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Angular velocity ω and tangential velocity v are vectors, so we must include magnitude and direction. The direction of the
angular velocity is along the axis of rotation, and points away from you for an object rotating clockwise, and toward you for
an object rotating counterclockwise. In mathematics this is described by the right-hand rule. Tangential velocity is usually
described as up, down, left, right, north, south, east, or west, as shown in Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6 As the fly on the edge of an old-fashioned vinyl record moves in a circle, its instantaneous velocity is always at a tangent to
the circle. The direction of the angular velocity is into the page this case.
202 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

WATCH PHYSICS

Relationship between Angular Velocity and Speed

This video reviews the definition and units of angular velocity and relates it to linear speed. It also shows how to convert
between revolutions and radians.

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GRASP CHECK
For an object traveling in a circular path at a constant angular speed, would the linear speed of the object change if the radius
of the path increases?
a. Yes, because tangential speed is independent of the radius.
b. Yes, because tangential speed depends on the radius.
c. No, because tangential speed is independent of the radius.
d. No, because tangential speed depends on the radius.

Solving Problems Involving Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity

Snap Lab
Measuring Angular Speed
In this activity, you will create and measure uniform circular motion and then contrast it with circular motions with
different radii.

• One string (1 m long)

• One object (two-hole rubber stopper) to tie to the end
• One timer

Procedure
1. Tie an object to the end of a string.
2. Swing the object around in a horizontal circle above your head (swing from your wrist). It is important that the circle
be horizontal!
3. Maintain the object at uniform speed as it swings.
4. Measure the angular speed of the object in this manner. Measure the time it takes in seconds for the object to travel 10
revolutions. Divide that time by 10 to get the angular speed in revolutions per second, which you can convert to radians
per second.
5. What is the approximate linear speed of the object?
6. Move your hand up the string so that the length of the string is 90 cm. Repeat steps 2–5.
7. Move your hand up the string so that its length is 80 cm. Repeat steps 2–5.
8. Move your hand up the string so that its length is 70 cm. Repeat steps 2–5.
9. Move your hand up the string so that its length is 60 cm. Repeat steps 2–5
10. Move your hand up the string so that its length is 50 cm. Repeat steps 2–5
11. Make graphs of angular speed vs. radius (i.e. string length) and linear speed vs. radius. Describe what each graph looks
like.

GRASP CHECK
If you swing an object slowly, it may rotate at less than one revolution per second. What would be the revolutions per
second for an object that makes one revolution in five seconds? What would be its angular speed in radians per second?
a. The object would spin at . The angular speed of the object would be .
b. The object would spin at . The angular speed of the object would be .

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 6.1 • Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 203

c. The object would spin at . The angular speed of the object would be .
d. The object would spin at . The angular speed of the object would be .

Now that we have an understanding of the concepts of angle of rotation and angular velocity, we’ll apply them to the real-world
situations of a clock tower and a spinning tire.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Angle of rotation at a Clock Tower

The clock on a clock tower has a radius of 1.0 m. (a) What angle of rotation does the hour hand of the clock travel through when it
moves from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.? (b) What’s the arc length along the outermost edge of the clock between the hour hand at these
two times?
Strategy
We can figure out the angle of rotation by multiplying a full revolution ( radians) by the fraction of the 12 hours covered by the
hour hand in going from 12 to 3. Once we have the angle of rotation, we can solve for the arc length by rearranging the equation
since the radius is given.

Solution to (a)
In going from 12 to 3, the hour hand covers 1/4 of the 12 hours needed to make a complete revolution. Therefore, the angle
between the hour hand at 12 and at 3 is (i.e., 90 degrees).

Solution to (b)
Rearranging the equation

6.4

we get
6.5
Inserting the known values gives an arc length of

6.6

Discussion
We were able to drop the radians from the final solution to part (b) because radians are actually dimensionless. This is because
the radian is defined as the ratio of two distances (radius and arc length). Thus, the formula gives an answer in units of meters,
as expected for an arc length.

WORKED EXAMPLE

How Fast Does a Car Tire Spin?

Calculate the angular speed of a 0.300 m radius car tire when the car travels at 15.0 m/s (about 54 km/h). See Figure 6.5.
Strategy
In this case, the speed of the tire tread with respect to the tire axle is the same as the speed of the car with respect to the road, so
we have v = 15.0 m/s. The radius of the tire is r = 0.300 m. Since we know v and r, we can rearrange the equation , to get
and find the angular speed.

Solution
To find the angular speed, we use the relationship: .
204 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

Inserting the known quantities gives

6.7

Discussion
When we cancel units in the above calculation, we get 50.0/s (i.e., 50.0 per second, which is usually written as 50.0 s−1). But the
angular speed must have units of rad/s. Because radians are dimensionless, we can insert them into the answer for the angular
speed because we know that the motion is circular. Also note that, if an earth mover with much larger tires, say 1.20 m in radius,
were moving at the same speed of 15.0 m/s, its tires would rotate more slowly. They would have an angular speed of

6.8

Practice Problems
1. What is the angle in degrees between the hour hand and the minute hand of a clock showing 9:00 a.m.?
a. 0°
b. 90°
c. 180°
d. 360°

2. What is the approximate value of the arc length between the hour hand and the minute hand of a clock showing 10:00 a.m if
the radius of the clock is 0.2 m?
a. 0.1 m
b. 0.2 m
c. 0.3 m
d. 0.6 m

Check Your Understanding

3. What is circular motion?
a. Circular motion is the motion of an object when it follows a linear path.
b. Circular motion is the motion of an object when it follows a zigzag path.
c. Circular motion is the motion of an object when it follows a circular path.
d. Circular motion is the movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path.

4. What is meant by radius of curvature when describing rotational motion?

a. The radius of curvature is the radius of a circular path.
b. The radius of curvature is the diameter of a circular path.
c. The radius of curvature is the circumference of a circular path.
d. The radius of curvature is the area of a circular path.

5. What is angular velocity?

a. Angular velocity is the rate of change of the diameter of the circular path.
b. Angular velocity is the rate of change of the angle subtended by the circular path.
c. Angular velocity is the rate of change of the area of the circular path.
d. Angular velocity is the rate of change of the radius of the circular path.

6. What equation defines angular velocity, ? Take that is the radius of curvature, is the angle, and is time.
a.
b.
c.
d.

7. Identify three examples of an object in circular motion.

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 6.2 • Uniform Circular Motion 205

a. an artificial satellite orbiting the Earth, a race car moving in the circular race track, and a top spinning on its axis
b. an artificial satellite orbiting the Earth, a race car moving in the circular race track, and a ball tied to a string being
swung in a circle around a person's head
c. Earth spinning on its own axis, a race car moving in the circular race track, and a ball tied to a string being swung in a
circle around a person's head
d. Earth spinning on its own axis, blades of a working ceiling fan, and a top spinning on its own axis

8. What is the relative orientation of the radius and tangential velocity vectors of an object in uniform circular motion?
a. Tangential velocity vector is always parallel to the radius of the circular path along which the object moves.
b. Tangential velocity vector is always perpendicular to the radius of the circular path along which the object moves.
c. Tangential velocity vector is always at an acute angle to the radius of the circular path along which the object moves.
d. Tangential velocity vector is always at an obtuse angle to the radius of the circular path along which the object moves.

6.2 Uniform Circular Motion

Section Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
• Describe centripetal acceleration and relate it to linear acceleration
• Describe centripetal force and relate it to linear force
• Solve problems involving centripetal acceleration and centripetal force

Section Key Terms

centrifugal force centripetal acceleration centripetal force uniform circular motion

Centripetal Acceleration
In the previous section, we defined circular motion. The simplest case of circular motion is uniform circular motion, where an
object travels a circular path at a constant speed. Note that, unlike speed, the linear velocity of an object in circular motion is
constantly changing because it is always changing direction. We know from kinematics that acceleration is a change in velocity,
either in magnitude or in direction or both. Therefore, an object undergoing uniform circular motion is always accelerating,
even though the magnitude of its velocity is constant.

You experience this acceleration yourself every time you ride in a car while it turns a corner. If you hold the steering wheel steady
during the turn and move at a constant speed, you are executing uniform circular motion. What you notice is a feeling of sliding
(or being flung, depending on the speed) away from the center of the turn. This isn’t an actual force that is acting on you—it only
happens because your body wants to continue moving in a straight line (as per Newton’s first law) whereas the car is turning off
this straight-line path. Inside the car it appears as if you are forced away from the center of the turn. This fictitious force is
known as the centrifugal force. The sharper the curve and the greater your speed, the more noticeable this effect becomes.

Figure 6.7 shows an object moving in a circular path at constant speed. The direction of the instantaneous tangential velocity is
shown at two points along the path. Acceleration is in the direction of the change in velocity; in this case it points roughly toward
the center of rotation. (The center of rotation is at the center of the circular path). If we imagine becoming smaller and
smaller, then the acceleration would point exactly toward the center of rotation, but this case is hard to draw. We call the
acceleration of an object moving in uniform circular motion the centripetal acceleration ac because centripetal means center
seeking.
206 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

Figure 6.7 The directions of the velocity of an object at two different points are shown, and the change in velocity is seen to point
approximately toward the center of curvature (see small inset). For an extremely small value of , points exactly toward the center of
the circle (but this is hard to draw). Because , the acceleration is also toward the center, so ac is called centripetal acceleration.

Now that we know that the direction of centripetal acceleration is toward the center of rotation, let’s discuss the magnitude of
centripetal acceleration. For an object traveling at speed v in a circular path with radius r, the magnitude of centripetal
acceleration is

Centripetal acceleration is greater at high speeds and in sharp curves (smaller radius), as you may have noticed when driving a
car, because the car actually pushes you toward the center of the turn. But it is a bit surprising that ac is proportional to the
speed squared. This means, for example, that the acceleration is four times greater when you take a curve at 100 km/h than at 50
km/h.

We can also express ac in terms of the magnitude of angular velocity. Substituting into the equation above, we get
. Therefore, the magnitude of centripetal acceleration in terms of the magnitude of angular velocity is

6.9

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

The equation expressed in the form ac = rω2 is useful for solving problems where you know the angular velocity rather than
the tangential velocity.

Virtual Physics
Ladybug Motion in 2D
In this simulation, you experiment with the position, velocity, and acceleration of a ladybug in circular and elliptical
motion. Switch the type of motion from linear to circular and observe the velocity and acceleration vectors. Next, try
elliptical motion and notice how the velocity and acceleration vectors differ from those in circular motion.

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 6.2 • Uniform Circular Motion 207

GRASP CHECK
In uniform circular motion, what is the angle between the acceleration and the velocity? What type of acceleration does a
body experience in the uniform circular motion?
a. The angle between acceleration and velocity is 0°, and the body experiences linear acceleration.
b. The angle between acceleration and velocity is 0°, and the body experiences centripetal acceleration.
c. The angle between acceleration and velocity is 90°, and the body experiences linear acceleration.
d. The angle between acceleration and velocity is 90°, and the body experiences centripetal acceleration.

Centripetal Force
Because an object in uniform circular motion undergoes constant acceleration (by changing direction), we know from Newton’s
second law of motion that there must be a constant net external force acting on the object.

Any force or combination of forces can cause a centripetal acceleration. Just a few examples are the tension in the rope on a
tether ball, the force of Earth’s gravity on the Moon, the friction between a road and the tires of a car as it goes around a curve, or
the normal force of a roller coaster track on the cart during a loop-the-loop.

Any net force causing uniform circular motion is called a centripetal force. The direction of a centripetal force is toward the
center of rotation, the same as for centripetal acceleration. According to Newton’s second law of motion, a net force causes the
acceleration of mass according to Fnet = ma. For uniform circular motion, the acceleration is centripetal acceleration: a = ac.
Therefore, the magnitude of centripetal force, Fc, is .

By using the two different forms of the equation for the magnitude of centripetal acceleration, and , we
get two expressions involving the magnitude of the centripetal force Fc. The first expression is in terms of tangential speed, the
second is in terms of angular speed: and .

Both forms of the equation depend on mass, velocity, and the radius of the circular path. You may use whichever expression for
centripetal force is more convenient. Newton’s second law also states that the object will accelerate in the same direction as the
net force. By definition, the centripetal force is directed towards the center of rotation, so the object will also accelerate towards
the center. A straight line drawn from the circular path to the center of the circle will always be perpendicular to the tangential
velocity. Note that, if you solve the first expression for r, you get

From this expression, we see that, for a given mass and velocity, a large centripetal force causes a small radius of
curvature—that is, a tight curve.
208 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

Figure 6.8 In this figure, the frictional force f serves as the centripetal force Fc. Centripetal force is perpendicular to tangential velocity and
causes uniform circular motion. The larger the centripetal force Fc, the smaller is the radius of curvature r and the sharper is the curve. The
lower curve has the same velocity v, but a larger centripetal force Fc produces a smaller radius .

WATCH PHYSICS

Centripetal Force and Acceleration Intuition

This video explains why a centripetal force creates centripetal acceleration and uniform circular motion. It also covers the
difference between speed and velocity and shows examples of uniform circular motion.

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GRASP CHECK
Imagine that you are swinging a yoyo in a vertical clockwise circle in front of you, perpendicular to the direction you are
facing. Now, imagine that the string breaks just as the yoyo reaches its bottommost position, nearest the floor. Which of the
following describes the path of the yoyo after the string breaks?
a. The yoyo will fly upward in the direction of the centripetal force.
b. The yoyo will fly downward in the direction of the centripetal force.

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 6.2 • Uniform Circular Motion 209

c. The yoyo will fly to the left in the direction of the tangential velocity.
d. The yoyo will fly to the right in the direction of the tangential velocity.

Solving Centripetal Acceleration and Centripetal Force Problems

To get a feel for the typical magnitudes of centripetal acceleration, we’ll do a lab estimating the centripetal acceleration of a
tennis racket and then, in our first Worked Example, compare the centripetal acceleration of a car rounding a curve to
gravitational acceleration. For the second Worked Example, we’ll calculate the force required to make a car round a curve.

Snap Lab
Estimating Centripetal Acceleration
In this activity, you will measure the swing of a golf club or tennis racket to estimate the centripetal acceleration of the end
of the club or racket. You may choose to do this in slow motion. Recall that the equation for centripetal acceleration is
or .

• One tennis racket or golf club

• One timer
• One ruler or tape measure

Procedure
1. Work with a partner. Stand a safe distance away from your partner as he or she swings the golf club or tennis racket.
2. Describe the motion of the swing—is this uniform circular motion? Why or why not?
3. Try to get the swing as close to uniform circular motion as possible. What adjustments did your partner need to make?
4. Measure the radius of curvature. What did you physically measure?
5. By using the timer, find either the linear or angular velocity, depending on which equation you decide to use.
6. What is the approximate centripetal acceleration based on these measurements? How accurate do you think they are?
Why? How might you and your partner make these measurements more accurate?

GRASP CHECK
Was it more useful to use the equation or in this activity? Why?
a. It should be simpler to use because measuring angular velocity through observation would be easier.

b. It should be simpler to use because measuring tangential velocity through observation would be easier.
c. It should be simpler to use because measuring angular velocity through observation would be difficult.

d. It should be simpler to use because measuring tangential velocity through observation would be difficult.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Comparing Centripetal Acceleration of a Car Rounding a Curve with Acceleration Due to

Gravity
A car follows a curve of radius 500 m at a speed of 25.0 m/s (about 90 km/h). What is the magnitude of the car’s centripetal
acceleration? Compare the centripetal acceleration for this fairly gentle curve taken at highway speed with acceleration due to
gravity (g).
210 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

Strategy
Because linear rather than angular speed is given, it is most convenient to use the expression to find the magnitude of
the centripetal acceleration.

Solution
Entering the given values of v = 25.0 m/s and r = 500 m into the expression for ac gives

Discussion
To compare this with the acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.80 m/s2), we take the ratio
. Therefore, , which means that the centripetal acceleration is about
one tenth the acceleration due to gravity.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Frictional Force on Car Tires Rounding a Curve

a. Calculate the centripetal force exerted on a 900 kg car that rounds a 600-m-radius curve on horizontal ground at 25.0 m/s.
b. Static friction prevents the car from slipping. Find the magnitude of the frictional force between the tires and the road that
allows the car to round the curve without sliding off in a straight line.

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 6.2 • Uniform Circular Motion 211

Strategy and Solution for (a)

We know that . Therefore,

Strategy and Solution for (b)

The image above shows the forces acting on the car while rounding the curve. In this diagram, the car is traveling into the page
as shown and is turning to the left. Friction acts toward the left, accelerating the car toward the center of the curve. Because
friction is the only horizontal force acting on the car, it provides all of the centripetal force in this case. Therefore, the force of
friction is the centripetal force in this situation and points toward the center of the curve.

Discussion
Since we found the force of friction in part (b), we could also solve for the coefficient of friction, since .

Practice Problems
9. What is the centripetal acceleration of an object with speed going along a path of radius ?
a.
b.
c.
d.

10. Calculate the centripetal acceleration of an object following a path with a radius of a curvature of 0.2 m and at an angular
velocity of 5 rad/s.
a. 1 m/s
b. 5 m/s
c. 1 m/s2
d. 5 m/s2

Check Your Understanding

11. What is uniform circular motion?
212 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

a. Uniform circular motion is when an object accelerates on a circular path at a constantly increasing velocity.
b. Uniform circular motion is when an object travels on a circular path at a variable acceleration.
c. Uniform circular motion is when an object travels on a circular path at a constant speed.
d. Uniform circular motion is when an object travels on a circular path at a variable speed.

12. What is centripetal acceleration?

a. The acceleration of an object moving in a circular path and directed radially toward the center of the circular orbit
b. The acceleration of an object moving in a circular path and directed tangentially along the circular path
c. The acceleration of an object moving in a linear path and directed in the direction of motion of the object
d. The acceleration of an object moving in a linear path and directed in the direction opposite to the motion of the object

13. Is there a net force acting on an object in uniform circular motion?

a. Yes, the object is accelerating, so a net force must be acting on it.
b. Yes, because there is no acceleration.
c. No, because there is acceleration.
d. No, because there is no acceleration.

14. Identify two examples of forces that can cause centripetal acceleration.
a. The force of Earth’s gravity on the moon and the normal force
b. The force of Earth’s gravity on the moon and the tension in the rope on an orbiting tetherball
c. The normal force and the force of friction acting on a moving car
d. The normal force and the tension in the rope on a tetherball

6.3 Rotational Motion

Section Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
• Describe rotational kinematic variables and equations and relate them to their linear counterparts
• Describe torque and lever arm
• Solve problems involving torque and rotational kinematics

Section Key Terms

angular acceleration kinematics of rotational motion lever arm

tangential acceleration torque

Rotational Kinematics
In the section on uniform circular motion, we discussed motion in a circle at constant speed and, therefore, constant angular
velocity. However, there are times when angular velocity is not constant—rotational motion can speed up, slow down, or reverse
directions. Angular velocity is not constant when a spinning skater pulls in her arms, when a child pushes a merry-go-round to
make it rotate, or when a CD slows to a halt when switched off. In all these cases, angular acceleration occurs because the
angular velocity changes. The faster the change occurs, the greater is the angular acceleration. Angular acceleration is the
rate of change of angular velocity. In equation form, angular acceleration is

where is the change in angular velocity and is the change in time. The units of angular acceleration are (rad/s)/s, or rad/
s2. If increases, then is positive. If decreases, then is negative. Keep in mind that, by convention, counterclockwise is
the positive direction and clockwise is the negative direction. For example, the skater in Figure 6.9 is rotating counterclockwise
as seen from above, so her angular velocity is positive. Acceleration would be negative, for example, when an object that is
rotating counterclockwise slows down. It would be positive when an object that is rotating counterclockwise speeds up.

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 6.3 • Rotational Motion 213

Figure 6.9 A figure skater spins in the counterclockwise direction, so her angular velocity is normally considered to be positive. (Luu,
Wikimedia Commons)

The relationship between the magnitudes of tangential acceleration, a, and angular acceleration,

6.10

These equations mean that the magnitudes of tangential acceleration and angular acceleration are directly proportional to each
other. The greater the angular acceleration, the larger the change in tangential acceleration, and vice versa. For example,
consider riders in their pods on a Ferris wheel at rest. A Ferris wheel with greater angular acceleration will give the riders
greater tangential acceleration because, as the Ferris wheel increases its rate of spinning, it also increases its tangential velocity.
Note that the radius of the spinning object also matters. For example, for a given angular acceleration , a smaller Ferris wheel
leads to a smaller tangential acceleration for the riders.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Tangential acceleration is sometimes denoted at. It is a linear acceleration in a direction tangent to the circle at the point of
interest in circular or rotational motion. Remember that tangential acceleration is parallel to the tangential velocity (either in
the same direction or in the opposite direction.) Centripetal acceleration is always perpendicular to the tangential velocity.

So far, we have defined three rotational variables: , , and . These are the angular versions of the linear variables x, v, and a.
Table 6.2 shows how they are related.

Rotational Linear Relationship

Table 6.2 Rotational and Linear Variables

214 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

Rotational Linear Relationship

Table 6.2 Rotational and Linear Variables

We can now begin to see how rotational quantities like , , and are related to each other. For example, if a motorcycle wheel
that starts at rest has a large angular acceleration for a fairly long time, it ends up spinning rapidly and rotates through many
revolutions. Putting this in terms of the variables, if the wheel’s angular acceleration is large for a long period of time t, then
the final angular velocity and angle of rotation are large. In the case of linear motion, if an object starts at rest and
undergoes a large linear acceleration, then it has a large final velocity and will have traveled a large distance.

The kinematics of rotational motion describes the relationships between the angle of rotation, angular velocity, angular
acceleration, and time. It only describes motion—it does not include any forces or masses that may affect rotation (these are
part of dynamics). Recall the kinematics equation for linear motion: (constant a).

As in linear kinematics, we assume a is constant, which means that angular acceleration is also a constant, because .
The equation for the kinematics relationship between , , and t is

where is the initial angular velocity. Notice that the equation is identical to the linear version, except with angular analogs of
the linear variables. In fact, all of the linear kinematics equations have rotational analogs, which are given in Table 6.3. These
equations can be used to solve rotational or linear kinematics problem in which a and are constant.

Rotational Linear

constant , a

constant , a

constant , a

Table 6.3 Equations for Rotational Kinematics

In these equations, and are initial values, is zero, and the average angular velocity and average velocity are

6.11

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 6.3 • Rotational Motion 215

FUN IN PHYSICS

Storm Chasing

Figure 6.10 Tornadoes descend from clouds in funnel-like shapes that spin violently. (Daphne Zaras, U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration)

Storm chasers tend to fall into one of three groups: Amateurs chasing tornadoes as a hobby, atmospheric scientists gathering
data for research, weather watchers for news media, or scientists having fun under the guise of work. Storm chasing is a
dangerous pastime because tornadoes can change course rapidly with little warning. Since storm chasers follow in the wake of
the destruction left by tornadoes, changing flat tires due to debris left on the highway is common. The most active part of the
world for tornadoes, called tornado alley, is in the central United States, between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian
Mountains.

Tornadoes are perfect examples of rotational motion in action in nature. They come out of severe thunderstorms called
supercells, which have a column of air rotating around a horizontal axis, usually about four miles across. The difference in wind
speeds between the strong cold winds higher up in the atmosphere in the jet stream and weaker winds traveling north from the
Gulf of Mexico causes the column of rotating air to shift so that it spins around a vertical axis, creating a tornado.

Tornadoes produce wind speeds as high as 500 km/h (approximately 300 miles/h), particularly at the bottom where the funnel is
narrowest because the rate of rotation increases as the radius decreases. They blow houses away as if they were made of paper
and have been known to pierce tree trunks with pieces of straw.

GRASP CHECK
What is the physics term for the eye of the storm? Why would winds be weaker at the eye of the tornado than at its outermost
edge?
a. The eye of the storm is the center of rotation. Winds are weaker at the eye of a tornado because tangential velocity is
directly proportional to radius of curvature.
b. The eye of the storm is the center of rotation. Winds are weaker at the eye of a tornado because tangential velocity is
inversely proportional to radius of curvature.
c. The eye of the storm is the center of rotation. Winds are weaker at the eye of a tornado because tangential velocity is
directly proportional to the square of the radius of curvature.
d. The eye of the storm is the center of rotation. Winds are weaker at the eye of a tornado because tangential velocity is
inversely proportional to the square of the radius of curvature.

Torque
If you have ever spun a bike wheel or pushed a merry-go-round, you know that force is needed to change angular velocity. The
farther the force is applied from the pivot point (or fulcrum), the greater the angular acceleration. For example, a door opens
slowly if you push too close to its hinge, but opens easily if you push far from the hinges. Furthermore, we know that the more
216 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

massive the door is, the more slowly it opens; this is because angular acceleration is inversely proportional to mass. These
relationships are very similar to the relationships between force, mass, and acceleration from Newton’s second law of motion.
Since we have already covered the angular versions of distance, velocity and time, you may wonder what the angular version of
force is, and how it relates to linear force.

The angular version of force is torque , which is the turning effectiveness of a force. See Figure 6.11. The equation for the
magnitude of torque is

where r is the magnitude of the lever arm, F is the magnitude of the linear force, and is the angle between the lever arm and
the force. The lever arm is the vector from the point of rotation (pivot point or fulcrum) to the location where force is applied.
Since the magnitude of the lever arm is a distance, its units are in meters, and torque has units of N⋅m. Torque is a vector
quantity and has the same direction as the angular acceleration that it produces.

Figure 6.11 A man pushes a merry-go-round at its edge and perpendicular to the lever arm to achieve maximum torque.

Applying a stronger torque will produce a greater angular acceleration. For example, the harder the man pushes the merry-go-
round in Figure 6.11, the faster it accelerates. Furthermore, the more massive the merry-go-round is, the slower it accelerates for
the same torque. If the man wants to maximize the effect of his force on the merry-go-round, he should push as far from the
center as possible to get the largest lever arm and, therefore, the greatest torque and angular acceleration. Torque is also
maximized when the force is applied perpendicular to the lever arm.

Solving Rotational Kinematics and Torque Problems

Just as linear forces can balance to produce zero net force and no linear acceleration, the same is true of rotational motion.
When two torques of equal magnitude act in opposing directions, there is no net torque and no angular acceleration, as you can
see in the following video. If zero net torque acts on a system spinning at a constant angular velocity, the system will continue to
spin at the same angular velocity.

WATCH PHYSICS

Introduction to Torque
This video (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/v/introduction-to-
torque) defines torque in terms of moment arm (which is the same as lever arm). It also covers a problem with forces acting in
opposing directions about a pivot point. (At this stage, you can ignore Sal’s references to work and mechanical advantage.)

GRASP CHECK
Click to view content (https://www.openstax.org/l/28torque)
If the net torque acting on the ruler from the example was positive instead of zero, what would this say about the angular

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 6.3 • Rotational Motion 217

acceleration? What would happen to the ruler over time?

a. The ruler is in a state of rotational equilibrium so it will not rotate about its center of mass. Thus, the angular
acceleration will be zero.
b. The ruler is not in a state of rotational equilibrium so it will not rotate about its center of mass. Thus, the angular
acceleration will be zero.
c. The ruler is not in a state of rotational equilibrium so it will rotate about its center of mass. Thus, the angular
acceleration will be non-zero.
d. The ruler is in a state of rotational equilibrium so it will rotate about its center of mass. Thus, the angular acceleration
will be non-zero.

Now let’s look at examples applying rotational kinematics to a fishing reel and the concept of torque to a merry-go-round.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Calculating the Time for a Fishing Reel to Stop Spinning

A deep-sea fisherman uses a fishing rod with a reel of radius 4.50 cm. A big fish takes the bait and swims away from the boat,
pulling the fishing line from his fishing reel. As the fishing line unwinds from the reel, the reel spins at an angular velocity of 220
rad/s. The fisherman applies a brake to the spinning reel, creating an angular acceleration of −300 rad/s2. How long does it take
the reel to come to a stop?

Strategy
We are asked to find the time t for the reel to come to a stop. The magnitude of the initial angular velocity is rad/s,
and the magnitude of the final angular velocity . The signed magnitude of the angular acceleration is rad/s2,
where the minus sign indicates that it acts in the direction opposite to the angular velocity. Looking at the rotational kinematic
equations, we see all quantities but t are known in the equation , making it the easiest equation to use for this
problem.

Solution
The equation to use is .

We solve the equation algebraically for t, and then insert the known values.

6.12

Discussion
The time to stop the reel is fairly small because the acceleration is fairly large. Fishing lines sometimes snap because of the forces
involved, and fishermen often let the fish swim for a while before applying brakes on the reel. A tired fish will be slower,
requiring a smaller acceleration and therefore a smaller force.
218 Chapter 6 • Circular and Rotational Motion

WORKED EXAMPLE

Calculating the Torque on a Merry-Go-Round

Consider the man pushing the playground merry-go-round in Figure 6.11. He exerts a force of 250 N at the edge of the merry-
go-round and perpendicular to the radius, which is 1.50 m. How much torque does he produce? Assume that friction acting on
the merry-go-round is negligible.
Strategy
To find the torque, note that the applied force is perpendicular to the radius and that friction is negligible.

Solution

6.13

Discussion
The man maximizes the torque by applying force perpendicular to the lever arm, so that and . The man also
maximizes his torque by pushing at the outer edge of the merry-go-round, so that he gets the largest-possible lever arm.

Practice Problems
15. How much torque does a person produce if he applies a force away from the pivot point, perpendicularly to the
lever arm?
a.
b.
c.
d.

16. An object’s angular velocity changes from 3 rad/s clockwise to 8 rad/s clockwise in 5 s. What is its angular acceleration?
a. 0.6 rad/s2
b. 1.6 rad/s2
c. 1 rad/s2
d. 5 rad/s2

Check Your Understanding

17. What is angular acceleration?
a. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the angular displacement.
b. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the angular velocity.
c. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the linear displacement.
d. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the linear velocity.

18. What is the equation for angular acceleration, α? Assume θ is the angle, ω is the angular velocity, and t is time.
a.
b.
c.
d.

19. Which of the following best describes torque?

a. It is the rotational equivalent of a force.
b. It is the force that affects linear motion.
c. It is the rotational equivalent of acceleration.
d. It is the acceleration that affects linear motion.

20. What is the equation for torque?

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 6.3 • Rotational Motion 219

a.
b.
c.
d.
220 Chapter 6 • Key Terms

KEY TERMS
angle of rotation the ratio of the arc length to the radius of time
curvature of a circular path lever arm the distance between the point of rotation (pivot
angular acceleration the rate of change of angular velocity point) and the location where force is applied
with time radius of curvature the distance between the center of a
angular velocity ( ) the rate of change in the angular circular path and the path
position of an object following a circular path rotational motion the circular motion of an object about an
arc length ( ) the distance traveled by an object along a axis of rotation
circular path spin rotation about an axis that goes through the center of
centrifugal force a fictitious force that acts in the direction mass of the object
opposite the centripetal acceleration tangential acceleration the acceleration in a direction
centripetal acceleration the acceleration of an object tangent to the circular path of motion and in the same
moving in a circle, directed toward the center of the circle direction or opposite direction as the tangential velocity
centripetal force any force causing uniform circular tangential velocity the instantaneous linear velocity of an
motion object in circular or rotational motion
circular motion the motion of an object along a circular torque the effectiveness of a force to change the rotational
path speed of an object
kinematics of rotational motion the relationships between uniform circular motion the motion of an object in a
rotation angle, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and circular path at constant speed

SECTION SUMMARY
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular that always points toward the center of rotation,
Velocity perpendicular to the linear velocity, in the same
direction as the net force, and in the direction opposite
• Circular motion is motion in a circular path.
that of the radius vector.
• The angle of rotation is defined as the ratio of the • The standard unit for centripetal acceleration is m/s2.
arc length to the radius of curvature. • Centripetal force Fc is any net force causing uniform
• The arc length is the distance traveled along a circular motion.
circular path and r is the radius of curvature of the
circular path. 6.3 Rotational Motion
• The angle of rotation is measured in units of radians
• Kinematics is the description of motion.
(rad), where revolution.
• The kinematics of rotational motion describes the
• Angular velocity is the rate of change of an angle,
relationships between rotation angle, angular velocity,
where a rotation occurs in a time .
angular acceleration, and time.
• The units of angular velocity are radians per second
• Torque is the effectiveness of a force to change the
(rad/s).
rotational speed of an object. Torque is the rotational
• Tangential speed v and angular speed are related by
analog of force.
, and tangential velocity has units of m/s.
• The lever arm is the distance between the point of
• The direction of angular velocity is along the axis of
rotation (pivot point) and the location where force is
rotation, toward (away) from you for clockwise
applied.
(counterclockwise) motion.
• Torque is maximized by applying force perpendicular to
6.2 Uniform Circular Motion the lever arm and at a point as far as possible from the
pivot point or fulcrum. If torque is zero, angular
• Centripetal acceleration ac is the acceleration acceleration is zero.
experienced while in uniform circular motion.
• Centripetal acceleration force is a center-seeking force

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 Chapter 6 • Key Equations 221

KEY EQUATIONS
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular 6.3 Rotational Motion
Velocity
Angular
Angle of rotation acceleration

Angular speed: Rotational , ,

kinematic ,
equations
Tangential speed:

Tangential
(linear)
6.2 Uniform Circular Motion acceleration

Centripetal
or Torque
acceleration

, ,
Centripetal force

CHAPTER REVIEW
Concept Items 6.2 Uniform Circular Motion
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 4. What is the equation for centripetal acceleration in terms
of angular velocity and the radius?
1. One revolution is equal to how many radians? Degrees?
a.
a.
b.
b.
c. c.
d. d.

2. What is tangential velocity? 5. How can you express centripetal force in terms of
a. Tangential velocity is the average linear velocity of centripetal acceleration?
an object in a circular motion. a.
b. Tangential velocity is the instantaneous linear b.
velocity of an object undergoing rotational motion. c.
c. Tangential velocity is the average angular velocity of d.
an object in a circular motion.
6. What is meant by the word centripetal?
d. Tangential velocity is the instantaneous angular
a. center-seeking
velocity of an object in a circular motion.
b. center-avoiding
3. What kind of motion is called spin? c. central force
a. Spin is rotational motion of an object about an axis d. central acceleration
parallel to the axis of the object.
b. Spin is translational motion of an object about an 6.3 Rotational Motion
axis parallel to the axis of the object.
7. Conventionally, for which direction of rotation of an
c. Spin is the rotational motion of an object about its
object is angular acceleration considered positive?
center of mass.
a. the positive x direction of the coordinate system
d. Spin is translational motion of an object about its
b. the negative x direction of the coordinate system
own axis.
c. the counterclockwise direction
d. the clockwise direction
222 Chapter 6 • Chapter Review

8. When you push a door closer to the hinges, why does it 9. When is angular acceleration negative?
open more slowly? a. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the
a. It opens slowly, because the lever arm is shorter so displacement and is negative when increases.
the torque is large. b. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of the
b. It opens slowly because the lever arm is longer so the displacement and is negative when decreases.
torque is large. c. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular
c. It opens slowly, because the lever arm is shorter so velocity and is negative when increases.
the torque is less. d. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular
d. It opens slowly, because the lever arm is longer so velocity and is negative when decreases.
the torque is less.

Critical Thinking Items you increase the length of the rope, would you have to
apply more or less force to maintain the same speed?
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity a. More force is required, because the force is
10. When the radius of the circular path of rotational inversely proportional to the radius of the circular
motion increases, what happens to the arc length for a orbit.
given angle of rotation? b. More force is required because the force is directly
a. The arc length is directly proportional to the radius proportional to the radius of the circular orbit.
of the circular path, and it increases with the c. Less force is required because the force is inversely
radius. proportional to the radius of the circular orbit.
b. The arc length is inversely proportional to the d. Less force is required because the force is directly
radius of the circular path, and it decreases with proportional to the radius of the circular orbit.
the radius.
c. The arc length is directly proportional to the radius 6.3 Rotational Motion
of the circular path, and it decreases with the
14. Consider two spinning tops with different radii. Both
radius.
have the same linear instantaneous velocities at their
d. The arc length is inversely proportional to the
edges. Which top has a higher angular velocity?
radius of the circular path, and it increases with the
a. the top with the smaller radius because the radius
radius.
of curvature is inversely proportional to the angular
11. Consider a CD spinning clockwise. What is the sum of velocity
the instantaneous velocities of two points on both ends b. the top with the smaller radius because the radius
of its diameter? of curvature is directly proportional to the angular
a. velocity
b. c. the top with the larger radius because the radius of
c. curvature is inversely proportional to the angular
d. velocity
d. The top with the larger radius because the radius of
6.2 Uniform Circular Motion curvature is directly proportional to the angular
velocity
12. What are the directions of the velocity and acceleration
of an object in uniform circular motion? 15. A person tries to lift a stone by using a lever. If the lever
a. Velocity is tangential, and acceleration is radially arm is constant and the mass of the stone increases,
outward. what is true of the torque necessary to lift it?
b. Velocity is tangential, and acceleration is radially a. It increases, because the torque is directly
inward. proportional to the mass of the body.
c. Velocity is radially outward, and acceleration is b. It increases because the torque is inversely
tangential. proportional to the mass of the body.
d. Velocity is radially inward, and acceleration is c. It decreases because the torque is directly
tangential. proportional to the mass of the body.
d. It decreases, because the torque is inversely
13. Suppose you have an object tied to a rope and are proportional to the mass of the body.
rotating it over your head in uniform circular motion. If

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 Chapter 6 • Test Prep 223

Problems d. 13, 333 N

6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 19. Find the frictional force between the tires and the road
that allows a 1,000 kg car traveling at 30 m/s to round a
16. What is the angle of rotation (in degrees) between two
20 m radius curve.
hands of a clock, if the radius of the clock is and
a. 22 N
the arc length separating the two hands is ?
b. 667 N
a.
c. 1, 500 N
b.
d. 45, 000 N
c.
d.
6.3 Rotational Motion
17. A clock has radius of . The outermost point on its
20. An object’s angular acceleration is 36 rad/s2. If it were
minute hand travels along the edge. What is its
initially spinning with a velocity of 6.0 m/s, what would
tangential speed?
its angular velocity be after 5.0 s?
a.
a. 186 rad/s
b. b. 190 rad/s2
c. c. −174 rad/s
d. d. −174 rad/s2

6.2 Uniform Circular Motion 21. When a fan is switched on, it undergoes an angular
acceleration of 150 rad/s2. How long will it take to
18. What is the centripetal force exerted on a 1,600 kg car achieve its maximum angular velocity of 50 rad/s?
that rounds a 100 m radius curve at 12 m/s? a. −0.3 s
a. 192 N b. 0.3 s
b. 1, 111 N c. 3.0 s
c. 2, 300 N

Performance Task placing coins on the other end of the lever. How many
coins would you need? What happens if you shorten or
6.3 Rotational Motion lengthen the lever arm? What does this say about
22. Design a lever arm capable of lifting a 0.5 kg object such torque?
as a stone. The force for lifting should be provided by

TEST PREP
Multiple Choice c.

6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity 26. What is in radians?

a.
23. What is 1 radian approximately in degrees?
b.
a. 57.3°
c.
b. 360°
d.
c. π°
d. 2π° 27. For a given object, what happens to the arc length as the
24. If the following objects are spinning at the same angular angle of rotation increases?
velocities, the edge of which one would have the highest a. The arc length is directly proportional to the angle
speed? of rotation, so it increases with the angle of
a. Mini CD rotation.
b. Regular CD b. The arc length is inversely proportional to the angle
c. Vinyl record of rotation, so it decreases with the angle of
rotation.
25. What are possible units for tangential velocity? c. The arc length is directly proportional to the angle
a. of rotation, so it decreases with the angle of
b. rotation.
224 Chapter 6 • Test Prep

d. The arc length is inversely proportional to the angle a. Centripetal acceleration is inversely proportional to
of rotation, so it increases with the angle of the radius of curvature, so it increases as the radius
rotation. of curvature decreases.
b. Centripetal acceleration is directly proportional to
6.2 Uniform Circular Motion the radius of curvature, so it decreases as the
radius of curvature decreases.
28. Which of these quantities is constant in uniform
c. Centripetal acceleration is directly proportional to
circular motion?
the radius of curvature, so it decreases as the
a. Speed
radius of curvature increases.
b. Velocity
d. Centripetal acceleration is directly proportional to
c. Acceleration
the radius of curvature, so it increases as the radius
d. Displacement
of curvature increases.
29. Which of these quantities impact centripetal force?
a. Mass and speed only 6.3 Rotational Motion
b. Mass and radius only
33. Which of these quantities is not described by the
c. Speed and radius only
kinematics of rotational motion?
d. Mass, speed, and radius all impact centripetal force
a. Rotation angle
30. An increase in the magnitude of which of these b. Angular acceleration
quantities causes a reduction in centripetal force? c. Centripetal force
a. Mass d. Angular velocity
b. Radius of curvature
34. In the equation , what is F?
c. Speed
a. Linear force
31. What happens to centripetal acceleration as the radius b. Centripetal force
of curvature decreases and the speed is constant, and c. Angular force
why?
35. What happens when two torques act equally in opposite
a. It increases, because the centripetal acceleration is
directions?
inversely proportional to the radius of the
a. Angular velocity is zero.
curvature.
b. Angular acceleration is zero.
b. It increases, because the centripetal acceleration is
directly proportional to the radius of curvature. 36. What is the mathematical relationship between angular
c. It decreases, because the centripetal acceleration is and linear accelerations?
inversely proportional to the radius of the a.
curvature. b.
d. It decreases, because the centripetal acceleration is c.
directly proportional to the radius of the curvature. d.
32. Why do we experience more sideways acceleration while
driving around sharper curves?

Short Answer 39. What is the equation that relates the linear speed of a
point on a rotating object with the object's angular
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity quantities?
37. What is the rotational analog of linear velocity? a.
a. Angular displacement b.
b. Angular velocity c.
c. Angular acceleration d.
d. Angular momentum
40. As the angular velocity of an object increases, what
38. What is the rotational analog of distance? happens to the linear velocity of a point on that object?
a. Rotational angle a. It increases, because linear velocity is directly
b. Torque proportional to angular velocity.
c. Angular velocity b. It increases, because linear velocity is inversely
d. Angular momentum proportional to angular velocity.

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 Chapter 6 • Test Prep 225

c. It decreases because linear velocity is directly a.

proportional to angular velocity. b.
d. It decreases because linear velocity is inversely c.
proportional to angular velocity. d.

41. What is angular speed in terms of tangential speed and 47. What are the standard units for centripetal force?
the radius? a. m
a. b. m/s
b. c. m/s2
c. d. newtons
d. 48. As the mass of an object in uniform circular motion
42. Why are radians dimensionless? increases, what happens to the centripetal force
a. Radians are dimensionless, because they are required to keep it moving at the same speed?
defined as a ratio of distances. They are defined as a. It increases, because the centripetal force is
the ratio of the arc length to the radius of the circle. directly proportional to the mass of the rotating
b. Radians are dimensionless because they are body.
defined as a ratio of distances. They are defined as b. It increases, because the centripetal force is
the ratio of the area to the radius of the circle. inversely proportional to the mass of the rotating
c. Radians are dimensionless because they are body.
defined as multiplication of distance. They are c. It decreases, because the centripetal force is
defined as the multiplication of the arc length to directly proportional to the mass of the rotating
the radius of the circle. body.
d. Radians are dimensionless because they are d. It decreases, because the centripetal force is
defined as multiplication of distance. They are inversely proportional to the mass of the rotating
defined as the multiplication of the area to the body.
radius of the circle.
6.3 Rotational Motion
6.2 Uniform Circular Motion 49. The relationships between which variables are described
43. What type of quantity is centripetal acceleration? by the kinematics of rotational motion?
a. Scalar quantity; centripetal acceleration has a. The kinematics of rotational motion describes the
magnitude only but no direction relationships between rotation angle, angular
b. Scalar quantity; centripetal acceleration has velocity, and angular acceleration.
magnitude as well as direction b. The kinematics of rotational motion describes the
c. Vector quantity; centripetal acceleration has relationships between rotation angle, angular
magnitude only but no direction velocity, angular acceleration, and angular
d. Vector quantity; centripetal acceleration has momentum.
magnitude as well as direction c. The kinematics of rotational motion describes the
relationships between rotation angle, angular
44. What are the standard units for centripetal velocity, angular acceleration, and time.
acceleration? d. The kinematics of rotational motion describes the
a. m/s relationships between rotation angle, angular
b. velocity, angular acceleration, torque, and time.
c.
d. 50. What is the kinematics relationship between , , and
?
45. What is the angle formed between the vectors of a.
tangential velocity and centripetal force? b.
a. c.
b. d.
c.
d. 51. What kind of quantity is torque?
a. Scalar
46. What is the angle formed between the vectors of b. Vector
centripetal acceleration and centripetal force?
226 Chapter 6 • Test Prep

c. Dimensionless arm along the length of the lever or by changing the

d. Fundamental quantity angle between the lever arm and the applied force.
b. By applying the force at the same point of the lever
52. If a linear force is applied to a lever arm farther away
arm along the length of the lever or by changing the
from the pivot point, what happens to the resultant
angle between the lever arm and the applied force.
torque?
c. By applying the force at different points of the lever
a. It decreases.
arm along the length of the lever or by maintaining
b. It increases.
the same angle between the lever arm and the
c. It remains the same.
applied force.
d. It changes the direction.
d. By applying the force at the same point of the lever
53. How can the same force applied to a lever produce arm along the length of the lever or by maintaining
different torques? the same angle between the lever arm and the
a. By applying the force at different points of the lever applied force.

Extended Response the same?

a. It increases because tangential velocity is directly
6.1 Angle of Rotation and Angular Velocity proportional to the radius.
54. Consider two pits on a CD, one close to the center and b. It increases because tangential velocity is inversely
one close to the outer edge. When the CD makes one full proportional to the radius.
rotation, which pit would have gone through a greater c. It decreases because tangential velocity is directly
angle of rotation? Which one would have covered a proportional to the radius.
greater arc length? d. It decreases because tangential velocity is inversely
a. The one close to the center would go through the proportional to the radius.
greater angle of rotation. The one near the outer
edge would trace a greater arc length. 6.2 Uniform Circular Motion
b. The one close to the center would go through the
57. Is an object in uniform circular motion accelerating?
greater angle of rotation. The one near the center
Why or why not?
would trace a greater arc length.
a. Yes, because the velocity is not constant.
c. Both would go through the same angle of rotation.
b. No, because the velocity is not constant.
The one near the outer edge would trace a greater
c. Yes, because the velocity is constant.
arc length.
d. No, because the velocity is constant.
d. Both would go through the same angle of rotation.
The one near the center would trace a greater arc 58. An object is in uniform circular motion. Suppose the
length. centripetal force was removed. In which direction would
the object now travel?
55. Consider two pits on a CD, one close to the center and
a. In the direction of the centripetal force
one close to the outer edge. For a given angular velocity
b. In the direction opposite to the direction of the
of the CD, which pit has a higher angular velocity?
centripetal force
Which has a higher tangential velocity?
c. In the direction of the tangential velocity
a. The point near the center would have the greater
d. In the direction opposite to the direction of the
angular velocity and the point near the outer edge
tangential velocity
would have the higher linear velocity.
b. The point near the edge would have the greater 59. An object undergoes uniform circular motion. If the
angular velocity and the point near the center radius of curvature and mass of the object are constant,
would have the higher linear velocity. what is the centripetal force proportional to?
c. Both have the same angular velocity and the point a.
near the outer edge would have the higher linear b.
velocity. c.
d. Both have the same angular velocity and the point d.
near the center would have the higher linear
velocity. 6.3 Rotational Motion
56. What happens to tangential velocity as the radius of an 60. Why do tornadoes produce more wind speed at the
object increases provided the angular velocity remains

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 Chapter 6 • Test Prep 227

bottom of the funnel? b. The force should be applied perpendicularly to the

a. Wind speed is greater at the bottom because rate of lever arm as far as possible from the pivot point.
rotation increases as the radius increases. c. The force should be applied parallel to the lever arm
b. Wind speed is greater at the bottom because rate of as far as possible from the pivot point.
rotation increases as the radius decreases. d. The force should be applied parallel to the lever arm
c. Wind speed is greater at the bottom because rate of as close as possible from the pivot point.
rotation decreases as the radius increases.
62. When will an object continue spinning at the same
d. Wind speed is greater at the bottom because rate of
angular velocity?
rotation decreases as the radius increases.
a. When net torque acting on it is zero
61. How can you maximize the torque applied to a given b. When net torque acting on it is non zero
lever arm without applying more force? c. When angular acceleration is positive
a. The force should be applied perpendicularly to the d. When angular acceleration is negative
lever arm as close as possible from the pivot point.
228 Chapter 6 • Test Prep

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