What Provides the Force?
Tension, friction, gravity or the normal force: identify the real force that does the turning. There is no “centrifugal” force on the object.
MODULE 02 / ALGEBRA CORE · CALCULUS EXTENSIONS
Circular Motion
Turning takes a force: from a puck on a string to curves, loops and rotating bodies.
Every lab is built for algebra-based physics. Where calculus adds insight, a Show the calculus option on the same lab adds vectors and derivatives. Examples come from sport, the human body and construction, so exercise science, health science and construction management students meet the physics in their own settings.
Unit 1 · Circular motion
C1–C2Unit 2 · Applied cases
C3–C5Flat Curves
Friction turns cars, cyclists and runners. Find the fastest safe speed on a curve and what happens on a wet road.
Banked Curves
Tilt the road or track so the normal force helps. Design speed for highway ramps and velodromes.
Vertical Circles
Loops, swings and buckets of water: apparent weight at the top and bottom, and the slowest speed that makes it over.
Unit 3 · Rotational motion
C6–C9Angular Kinematics
Angle, angular velocity and angular acceleration, and how they link to the speed of a point on a spinning wheel or limb.
Torque and Equilibrium
Levers in the body (the forearm and biceps) and on site (planks, beams, ladders): balance forces and moments.
Rotational Dynamics
Moment of inertia and Newton’s second law for rotation: why mass far from the axis is harder to spin up.
Rolling and Angular Momentum
Race rolling objects down a ramp, and see why a diver or skater spins faster when they pull in.