Q. Define uniform circular motion and give example of it. Why is it called accelerated motion?
Definition of Uniform Circular Motion: Uniform circular motion is the motion of an object moving at a constant speed along a circular path. An example of uniform circular motion is the motion of the moon around the Earth or a car moving at a steady speed around a circular track.
Velocity in Circular Motion: In uniform circular motion, although the speed of the object is constant, its velocity is not constant because the direction of the velocity vector changes continuously as the object moves along the circular path.
Centripetal Acceleration: Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with time. Since the direction of the velocity vector is changing in uniform circular motion, there is a change in velocity, which means there is acceleration. This acceleration is always directed towards the center of the circular path and is known as centripetal acceleration.
Calculation of Centripetal Acceleration: The centripetal acceleration (ac) can be calculated using the formula ac=rv2, where v is the constant speed of the object and r is the radius of the circular path. This formula shows that even though the speed is constant, there is an acceleration towards the center of the circle, which is why uniform circular motion is considered an accelerated motion.
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