Uniform Circular Motion

planetsEarlier, you learned about straight-line motion, and recently you have been learning about objects that travel in parabolic paths, but there is a type of two dimensional motion that covers a remarkable range of phenomena, from the motion of planets to our experience on roller coasters. This is the topic of circular motion.

Essential Questions:

  • What force is needed to move an object in a circular path?
  • Can an object be accelerating while it is also moving at a constant speed?