CfE Advanced Higher Physics

Rotational Motion
and Gravitation

Dick Orr Page1

Derivation of equations of motion
This is the really fun bit to start with! You do need to
know this derivation since it is in the LOs

FACT: Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

dv
= a eqn.1
dt
Consider an object accelerating from rest.
At t = 0 v = u and s =0 where s, u, v, a and t have the
usual meanings.

To find an expression for velocity we must integrate

eqn.1.
dv
∫ .dt = ∫ a .dt
dt
v = at + C
from initial conditions when t = 0 v = u so C = u
now have v = u + at [A]
FACT: Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.
ds
v= = u + at eqn.2
dt
To find an expression for displacement we must integrate
eqn.2.
ds
∫ .dt= ∫ u.dt + ∫ at.dt
dt
s = ut + ½at2 + C
from initial conditions when t = 0 s = 0 so C = 0
now have s = ut + ½at2 [B]

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To obtain the ‘third’ equation of motion

Square eqn. [A]

v2 = (u + at)2
v2 = u2 + 2uat + a2t2 = u2 + 2a[ut + ½at2]
v2 = u2 +2as [C]

Angular Motion

For this part of the course you need to learn a new

language, angular motion.
The equations of motion for angular are the same as
those for linear motion from Higher, we just say them
differently. Comprendez vous?

Vocabulary
linear angular
displacement s angular displacement θ
initial velocity u initial ang. velocity ω0
final velocity v final ang. velocity ω
acceleration a angular acceleration α

v = u + at ω = ω0 +αt
s = ut + ½at2 θ = ω0t + ½αt2
v2 = u2 + 2as ω2 = ω02 + 2αθ
As you can see the equations are identical in how the
terms relate to each other, though θω0ωαt doesn’t roll
off the tongue quite so readily as suvat!!

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Rotational Motion
v
Consider a point on the circumference
of a circle. It will make one complete r ω
rotation in time T. (A capital is used
to denote this time as it is a specific
time value known as the period.)

d circumference 2Πr
The speed of the point is v = = =
t period T

θ 2Π
The angular velocity of the point is ω = =
T T

Equating both relationships gives v =ωr

We have a situation where an object on the

circumference of the circle, moving with constant speed
as above is also accelerating. This is due to its continual
change in direction and hence subsequent change in
velocity.
If there is an acceleration there must also be an
unbalanced force acting on the object. In the case of
circular motion this force must act towards the centre of
the circle.

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 direction hammer moves
when released

direction of force applied

by thrower

The magnitude of the linear and angular accelerations are

related by the following equation

a = αr

The magnitude of the central force acting on the object

will depend on the mass of the object, the radius of the
orbit and the speed of the object.

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Radial Acceleration.

Consider an object moving in a ω

circular path radius, r.
Two tangential vectors
representing velocity are shown at
A and B. Δθ vB
Drawn as a vector diagram the r
B
resultant of the velocities is shown Δθ
in the diagram below. A vA

Z -vA When the time interval between A

Δθ Y and B is very small Δθ will be very
Δv small and angle ZXY will be almost
vB
90°. This means that XZ is
X towards the centre of the circle.
[Radius is perpendicular to the
tangent]

Δv
a=
Δt
if Δθ is small, then Δv = vΔθ if θ is measured in radians

vΔθ
so a=
Δt

vdθ
as Δt approaches zero a = = vω
dt

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Making use of the fact that v = ωr, we can substitute to
obtain

2 v2
a=ω r=
r
If the above expressions represent the radial
acceleration then the central force producing it can be
determined by using the ‘rude equation’, FU = ma.

2 mv 2
F = mω r =
r

This radial force is called the centripetal force; it is

always present whenever any object is moving in a
circular orbit.
The force itself is normally produced by gravitational
[satellite motion], electrostatic [electron orbit],
magnetic [mass spectrometer], tension [hammer
thrower], friction [car travelling around a corner with no
slipping] and normal reaction forces [standing on the
surface of the Earth without flying off!!].

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Rotational Dynamics

Again other than language this topic area is essentially

the same as in Higher.

Force vs Torque: In a rotational situation the magnitude

of the force applied is not the only factor that needs to
be taken into account.

Simple experiment: Apparatus,

two people and a door.
Procedure: one person pushes
close to the door hinge, one
person pushes close to the edge
A B
of the door with the same
magnitude of force.
Observe, discuss and explain.

The distance the force is applied from the pivot

determines its effect. The larger the distance is the
greater the effect. This is called the moment of a
force.

As always we can show this as a numerical value called the

torque.
T = Fr
Torque is measured in Nm.

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Angular Acceleration

It should come as no surprise that an unbalanced torque

will produce an angular acceleration in the same way that
an unbalanced force will produce a linear acceleration.
But, yes there’s always a but, there is also a rotational
equivalent for mass.
A single object may react differently to an applied
torque depending on how it rotates.

A
B C

Consider the three identical blocks A, B and C above.

Which of the three would be hardest to rotate?
The answer depends on how the mass is distributed
around the axis of rotation. The greater the distance the
mass is from the axis the greater the torque will be
required to produce a particular angular acceleration.

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This distribution of mass is called the moment of inertia.
For a single object, of mass m a distance of r from the
axis of rotation, its moment of inertia is given as

I = mr2
The units of moment of inertia are kgm2.

Vocabulary
linear angular
mass m moment of inertia I
force F torque T

The related equations and principles follow from this.

Fu = ma T = Iα
EK = ½mv2 EKrot = ½Iω2
cons. of momentum cons. of angular momentum
m 1v1 = m 2 v2 Iω1 = Iω2

Conservation of angular momentum; You can see this in

action when ice skaters spin then pull their arms in and
spin faster. Their moment of inertia has been reduced
and so their angular velocity increases.

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Gravitation

Inverse square law of gravitation

Gm1m2
F=
r2

G is the universal gravitational constant and has a value

of 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2.

This force acts between any two

objects which have mass. In fact
you are always attracted to the
person sitting next to you!! [Scary
thought] It is however a strictly
gravitational attraction.

Gravitational field strength was introduced in Standard

Grade and is defined as.

The force acting per unit mass on

an object in the field.

A gravitational field is a model by which the effects of

gravitation can be explained. The force acting on a mass
in the field is always attractive. We can represent the
strength and shape of the field by drawing field lines.
[Not unlike the patterns produced by filings around a
magnet]

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Gravitational field line patterns for single and dual planet
systems.

There is a point between any two planet system where

the net gravitational field will be zero. In reality there
should be nowhere in the universe since any point will
have some gravitational effect from every object in the
universe.

Gravitational Potential

Up till now we have calculated a change in potential

energy of an object by considering a change of height
and the mass of the object in question. At Advanced
Higher we will consider potential energies of satellites
which are in orbit hundreds of km above the surface of
the Earth. This leads to a problem since the Earth’s

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gravitational field changes with distance from the centre
of the earth.

It is possible to calculate the gravitational potential at a

point in space some distance from the Earth.

GM
V=-
r

where M = mass of Earth

r = distance from centre of Earth

We can use this equation based on two factors:

1. The gravitational potential at a point is defined as the
work done in bringing an object from infinity to that
point.
2. The gravitational potential at infinity is zero.

The gravitational potential is always negative. This is due

to the fact that gravitation is an attractive force and
the field does work on the object bringing it closer to
Earth.

To find the gravitational potential energy of the object

we simply multiply the potential by the mass of the
object, m.

GMm
EP = -
r

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Conservative Field

This is where David Cameron has a picnic. Not really!!

A conservative field is one where the work done against
the field in moving an object between two points is
independent of the path taken.
A gravitational field is a conservative field.

Escape velocity

The velocity required for an object to move to infinity.

This is relatively easy to calculate.

Step 1: Calculate the energy of the object on the surface

of the planet, radius R and mass M.

GMm
EP = -
R

Step 2: When the object reaches infinity it will have an

EP of 0J.

We must supply kinetic energy sufficient to make the

total energy equal to 0J. At infinity the EK of the object
will be zero.

EK + EP = 0

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 GMm
½mv2 + (- )=0
R

2GM
v=
R

Black Holes

A black hole is an object where the mass/radius ratio is

such that the escape velocity is greater than 3 x 108 m/s.
This means that nothing can escape the surface of the
object since the maximum allowable velocity is 3 x 108
m/s.
If light cannot escape it must mean that photons are
affected by gravity. This was proposed by Einstein in his
General Theory of relativity in 1915. It was confirmed by
observation in 1919.

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