AP Physics 1: Algebra Based College Board
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40 topics in 10 modules
☑️ Circular Motion and Gravitation 8 topics
- Applications of Circular Motion and Gravitation
- Centripetal Acceleration and Centripetal Force
- Free-Body Diagrams for Objects in Uniform Circular Motion
- Fundamental Forces
- Gravitational Field/Acceleration Due to Gravity on Different Planets
- Gravitational and Electric Forces
- Inertial vs Gravitational Mass
- Vector Fields
☑️ DC Circuits 4 topics
- Definition of a Circuit
- Kirchoff's Junction Rule, Ohm' Law (Resistors in Series and Parallel)
- Ohm's Law, Kirchoff's Loop Rule (Resistors in Series and Parallel)
- Resistivity
☑️ Dynamics 7 topics
- Application of Newton's Second Law
- Contact Forces
- Newton's First Law
- Newton's Second Law
- Newton's Third Law and Free Body Diagrams
- Systems
- The Gravitational Field
☑️ Electric Charge and Electric Force 3 topics
- Conservation of Charge
- Electric Charge
- Electric Force
☑️ Energy 3 topics
- Conservation of Energy, the Work-Energy Principle, and Power
- Open and Closed Systems: Energy
- Work and Mechanical Energy
☑️ Kinematics 2 topics
- Positino, Velocity, and Acceleration
- Representations of Motion
☑️ Mechanical Waves and Sound 3 topics
- Interference and Superposition (Waves in Tubes and on Strings)
- Periodic Waves
- Properties of Waves
☑️ Momentum 4 topics
- Conservation of Linear Momentum
- Momentum and Impulse
- Open and Closed Systems: Momentum
- Representations of Changes in Momentum
☑️ Simple Harmonic Motion 2 topics
- Energy of a Simple Harmonic Oscillator
- Period of Simple Harmonic Oscillators
☑️ Torque and Rotational Motion 4 topics
- Angular Momentum and Torque
- Conservation of Angular Momentum
- Rotational Kinematics
- Torque and Angular Acceleration
AP Physics 1: Algebra Based Revision Content
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AP Physics 1: Algebra Based - Circular Motion and Gravitation - Applications of Circular Motion and Gravitation Content Preview
Circular Motion and Gravitation
Applications of Circular Motion and Gravitation
Basics of Circular Motion and Gravitation
- Objects move in a circular path due to a force that pulls them towards the centre, known as centripetal force.
- Centripetal Force refers to the 'centre-seeking' force that makes body follow a curved path, its direction is always orthogonal to the velocity of the body
- Circular motion obeys Newton’s Laws of Motion, similar to linear motion.
- An object will continue moving in a uniform circular motion until an external force acts upon it.
Applications of Circular Motion
- Satellites moving around a planet follow a circular path due to gravity, showcasing an application of circular motion.
- The spin of the Earth represents circular motion, with gravity holding everything towards the Earth’s centre.
- Roller coasters and Funfair rides like the 'rotor ride' or 'pirate-ship' are real life examples where circular motion principles are employed.
- In sports, discus throw, long jump, hammer throw and other athletic games involve the principles of circular motion.
- Technologies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use principles of circular motion and rotation of atoms.
Understanding Gravitation
- Every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them - This is the Law of Universal Gravitation.
- The force of gravity decreases as the square of the distance increases between two objects.
- Acceleration due to gravity is the uniform acceleration produced in a freely falling object due to gravitational pull of earth. It is represented by ‘g’, and on the surface of the earth, the value of ‘g’ is approximately 9.8 m/s².
- Gravitational potential energy is energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field.
Applications of Gravitational Force
- Planetary orbits are maintained by the balance of gravitational forces and the inertia of the planets.
- GPS technology relies on understanding gravitational forces to calculate precise locations.
- Gravitational principles are used in designing structures: bridges, buildings, etc, to resist gravitational force.
- Aerospace technology heavily depends on the understanding of gravitational force.
Question: Explain how the principles of circular motion and gravitation apply to the functioning of a roller coaster.
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