All Flashcards
What is the effect of a net centripetal force?
It causes an object to move in a circular path.
What happens when the string breaks in a UCM setup?
The object will move in a straight line tangent to the circle at the point where the string broke.
What happens when the car moves at a constant speed around a circular track?
The car's acceleration is directed towards the center of the circle.
What happens when a satellite is orbiting the Earth in a circular path?
The gravitational force provides the centripetal force necessary for this motion.
What is a vector field?
A vector field assigns a vector to each point in space, showing the direction and strength of a force at different points.
What is uniform circular motion (UCM)?
Motion of an object moving in a circle at a constant speed, but with changing velocity due to direction change.
Define centripetal acceleration.
Acceleration that always points towards the center of the circle in uniform circular motion.
Define centripetal force.
The net force that points towards the center of the circle, causing circular motion. It is NOT a new, separate force.
What is centrifugal force?
An apparent, center-fleeing force felt in a rotating frame, but not a real force.
In UCM, what is the direction of centripetal acceleration, centripetal force, and velocity?
Centripetal Acceleration: Towards the center | Centripetal Force: Towards the center | Velocity: Tangent to the circle