Classical Mechanics LAB 5

Experiment (5)
DYNAMICS OF CIRCULAR MOTION
“CENTRIPETAL FORCE”

5.1 Introduction
When we are riding a car, bus or train and it rounds a corner, we
have a sensation that we are being thrown outside the circular path.
There is no obvious force, in the sense that we use in Newtonian
mechanics, to explain this sensation. Yet Newton’s laws of motion
give us all that we need to understand this circular motion, if we stick
to the inertial reference frame.
Consider the following questions. Why would a mass rotating in
a circular path with constant speed be accelerating? What is the net
force acting on this mass causing this acceleration? Would it be
directed inwards or outwards?

5.2 Objectives
 Learn about the parameters of the uniform circular motion of
a body (centripetal force, tangential velocity, angular
velocity, centripetal acceleration).
 Investigate the relation between the centripetal force and the
mass of the body.
 Investigate the relation between the centripetal force and the
angular velocity of the rotating mass.
 Investigate the relation between the centripetal force and the
radius of the circular path.

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5.3 Theory
The centripetal force is required to keep an object moving in a
circular path. For example, the gravity is the centripetal force that
keeps satellites orbiting Earth.

When a particle of mass m rotates in a circular path of radius R

with a constant speed v (tangent to the path), it is found that the
particle acceleration arad is always directed from the body towards
the center of the circle (i.e. the radial direction towards the center)
and is given by:

𝑣2
𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = = 𝜔2 𝑅 ( 5.1)
𝑅
v
Where  is the angular velocity and is equal to,  
R
This acceleration is called the ‘centripetal’ acceleration, the
word centripetal means “towards the center”.
If the time of one complete period is T, then,

2𝜋
𝜔= ,
𝑇

2
4𝜋 2 𝑅
and 𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 =𝜔 𝑅=
𝑇2

According to Newton’s second law, the net centripetal force Fc

(which is also in the radial direction towards the center) is given by:

𝑚𝑣 2
𝐹𝑐 = = 𝑚𝜔2 𝑅 ( 5.2)
𝑅

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5.4 Setup
The experimental setup is arranged as shown in Figure 5.1.

1
3

2 5
4

Figure 5.1: Experimental setup for measuring the centripetal

force.

12

3
13 7 8
2 9

10
11

Figure 5.2: Rotating track with movable cart.

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14

19

20
9

17
15

16 18

Figure 5.3: Two-direction Figure 5.4 : Cobra4 force

motor with adjustable rpm. sensor unit (4N Max.).

1 Cobra 4 Force Sensor-Unit 11 Radius ruler

2 Rotating cart track 12 The eye
3 Fishing line 13 Fishing line pulley
4 Belt 14 Motor shaft
5 Laboratory motor 15 13000 rpm (Max. speed) button
6 Force sensor clamp 16 Clockwise rotation button
7 Movable cart 17 Counter-clockwise rotation button
8 Weight holder 18 Rpm rotary switch
9 Slotted Masses 19 Force sensor hook
10 Radius pointer 20 Force sensor specifications label

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5.5 Procedure
5.5.1 Task (1): To address our second objective, which is to
determine the relation between the centripetal force and
the mass, we will measure the variation of the centripetal
force as a function of the mass of the rotating object.
1- Start the measure software package on the PC. All necessary
recording settings will start automatically as shown in
Error! Reference source not found..

Figure 5.5: Measure software startup window.

2- Place 400 gm of
slotted mass (9) on
the weight holder (8)
of the cart (7) as
shown in Figure 5.6.
3- Adjust the radius of
the circular path
taken by the mass to
𝑟 = 20 𝑐𝑚 . This
radius should remain
Figure 5.6: Movable cart with added
constant throughout slotted masses.
this task.

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The radius of the

circular path can be
adjusted by loosening the
clamp (6) and moving the
support rod holding the
force sensor (1) back and
forth untill the required
radius is adjusted then
fastening the clamp again
as shown in Figure 5.7.
Make use of the red radius
pointer (10) on the side of
the cart (7) and the radius
ruler (11) on the track to
adjust the correct radius. Figure 5.7: Loosening and
𝑟 = 20 𝑐𝑚 adjustment is fastening the sensor clamp to
enable moving the support
shown in Figure 5.8.
rod back and foth.

Figure 5.8: The 𝒓 = 𝟐𝟎 𝒄𝒎 adjustment.

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Make sure that the fishing line (3) connected to the force
sensor hook (19) and passing through the eye (12) is
horizontal (i.e. parallel to the cart track (2) and perpendicular
to the force sensor (1)) as shown in Figure 5.9. Failing to
adjust the fishing line correctly will result in measuring only
a component of the force not the total force.

Figure 5.9: Correct and incorrect fishing line adjustment.

4- Read the following safety precautions carefully before

carrying out this step and ask your Professor or TA if you do
not understand any of these points.

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- Before switching on the motor, make sure all units,

which are to be driven, are firmly fastened and that their
holding devices are safely mounted.
- Never use the “13000 rpm” (15) button.
- Put on your protective glasses before switching on the
motor
- The rotation should not be hampered or blocked for
long periods, as this will damage the motor due to the
increasing current passing through its coils.
- No one is to get close enough to collide with the
apparatus as it rotates. Avoid placing your head near the
level of the rotating apparatus.
- Hold the fishing line up (see Figure 5.10) before the
motor starts rotating and let it go after the cart track
completes one rotation.

Figure 5.10: Holding the fishing line up before

the motor starts rotating.
- If the fishing line is left loose when the motor starts
rotating, it - most probably- will wind around the axis of
the apparatus, if this occurs, switch off the motor (5) or
unplug it from the wall socket at once and ask a TA for help.

Turn the laboratory motor (5) on by pressing button (16) or

(17) then use the rpm rotary switch (18) to adjust the rpm
(revolutions per minute) of the motor, which in turn rotates the
cart track (2).

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It will be noticed that the cart track will not rotate with
the expected angular velocity instantly; one should wait until
the angular velocity of the cart track seems to be constant
before moving on to the next step.

The centripetal force measured by the force sensor (1)

depends on the angular velocity of the rotating mass. As
shown in Figure 5.12, the force sensor can’t measure
any force exceeding 4. That is why, on adjusting the motor
angular velocity, one should
check the measured force
window shown in Figure 5.11
on the measure software to
make sure that the force
doesn’t exceed 4N for the
adjusted angular velocity of Figure 5.11: Measured
force window.
the motor.

5- Start recording the measured force in the measure software by

clicking the “Record” button ( ) found in the software
toolbar shown in Figure 5.12. The measured values by the
force sensor are now being recorded.

Figure 5.12: Measure software toolbars.

6- After approximately 10 full rotations, you can terminate the
recording from the “Stop” button ( ), the output graph will
appear automatically.

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The output force vs. time graph will have a sinusoidal

behavior although - theoretically - the measured force
should be constant with time. This can be explained as
follows : When the cart track (2) is rotating, the eye (12)
moves slightly back and forth when the apparatus is viewed
from the side, this in turn causes the circular path radius to
change slightly (about the adjusted radius) during the
circular motion (Recall that 𝐹 ∝ 𝑅 𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝜔). This
eccentricity (deviation from the center) of the eye is
intentional as it allows the determination of the angular
velocity of the cart track as will be shown later.

7- Press the motor button which was previously pressed in step 4

(button (16) or (17)) to stop the motor without touching the
rpm rotary switch.
8- Use the “Survey tool” ( ) to mark a number of cycles on the
graph, count the cycles lying between the two vertical
markings on the graph as shown in Figure 5.13.

Figure 5.13: Marking 10 cycles using the “survey tool”.

The ∆𝑥 in the “Survey tool” window shown in Figure 5.14 is
the time taken to complete the cycles bounded by the vertical
markings on the graph (note that the time is on the horizontal
x-axis). Calculate the periodic time = ∆𝑥
N
, where N is the
number of cycles lying between the two vertical markings.

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Calculate the angular velocity 𝜔 from the periodic time, where

2𝜋
(𝜔 = ).
𝑇

Figure 5.14: Survey tool window.

The force vs. time graph has the force on the vertical
y-axis and the time on the horizontal x-axis, that’s why the
∆𝑥 in the Survey tool window is the difference in time
bounded by the vertical markings on the graph.

9- Use the “Mark” tool

( ) to select three or four
periods from the graph
then press the “Show
average value” tool ( ),
the average value of the Figure 5.15: Average value
force during these selected dialogue box.
periods will appear in a dialogue box as shown in Figure 5.15.
10- Repeat steps 4 to 9 several times for error analysis with
400 gm.
11- Repeat steps 4 to 9 several time for each of the following
masses : 350 gm, 300 gm and 150 gm.

On repeating steps 4 to 9, Make sure not to change the

motor’s rpm because the angular velocity is required to be
almost constant through out this task.

12- Plot the relation between the mass of the rotating object
(taking the mass of the cart into consideration) and the
centripetal force acting on it. Find the slope of the straight line
describing the relation and compare it to the value of 𝜔2 𝑟.

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5.5.2 Task (2): Verifying the relation between the centripetal

force and the radius of the circular path.
1- Place a 150 gm mass onto the cart. This mass should remain
constant through out this task.
2- Adjust the radius of the circular path taken by the mass to
𝑟 = 30 𝑐𝑚.
3- Repeat steps 4- to 0 from Task (1) several times for each of the
following values for the radius of the circular path taken by the
mass: 𝑟 = 30 𝑐𝑚, 25 𝑐𝑚, 20 𝑐𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 15 𝑐𝑚.

Before recording in step 5 (from Task (1)), make sure

that the force sensor reads a value less than 4N when the
radius of the circular path 𝑟 = 30 𝑐𝑚 . If the force sensor
is reading more than 4 N, decrease the motor’s rpm until
reaching a force reading within the range.

On repeating the steps 4 to 9 (from Task (1)), make sure

not to change the motor’s rpm because the angular velocity
is required to be almost constant through out this task.

4- Plot the relation between the radius of the circular path taken
by the mass of the rotating object and the centripetal force
acting on it. Find the slope of the straight line describing the
relation and compare it to the value of 𝑚𝜔2 .

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5.5.3 Task (3): Variation of the centripetal force as a function

of the angular velocity of the rotating mass.
1- Place 150 gm mass onto the cart. This mass should remain
constant through out this task.
2- Adjust the radius of the circular path taken by the mass to
𝑟 = 20 𝑐𝑚. This radius should also remain constant through
out this task.
3- Repeat steps 4- to 0 from Task (1) but in step 4 set the motor’s
rpm to four different values which will result in four different
values for the angular velocity (the operating angular velocity
is to be calculated in step 8-). For each adjusted rpm, repeat
the steps several times for error analysis without changing the
motor’s rpm for error analysis.

Before recording in step 5 Task (1)), make sure that the

force sensor reads a value less than 4N for each different
rpm . If the force sensor is reading more than 4N, decrease
the motor’s rpm until reaching a force reading within the
range.

4- Plot the relation between the square of the angular velocity of

the mass of the rotating object and the centripetal force acting
on it. Find the slope of the straight line describing the relation
and compare it to the value of 𝑚𝑟.

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