What is the DIFFERENCE between CIRCULAR and ROTATIONAL motions.
Please explain with some examples.
Answers
The main difference between these types of motion is that circular motion is a special case of rotational motion, where the distance between the body’s centre of mass and the axis of rotation remains fixed.
Rotational motion is based around the idea of rotation of a body about its center of mass. In rotational motion, the axis of rotation and centre of mass could change whereas in circular motion, the axis of rotation and centre of mass does not change.
Circular motion is a movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path and can either have a constant angular rotation rate and constant speed, or it can exist with a changing rate of rotation.
Think of one of those fairground rides where people sit on dummy horses. Now imagine the horses spin around the post that holds them to the base of the ride. Then you have both rotational motion of the horse and circular motion as the horses move around the ride.
In a circular motion, the axis of rotation is inside the body, while the axis of rotation in the other case, may be outside. Why the axis is outside in case of rotational motion.
The axis of rotation could pass through the body itself or lie outside the body. If the axis passes through the body, the word spin may be used to describe the rotation. Revolution or orbit would refer to where the axis of rotation lies outside the rigid body.
In a circular motion, the axis of rotation is inside the body, while the axis of rotation in the other case, may be outside. Why the axis is outside in case of rotational motion.
I think you may have this the wrong way round.
Have a read of this link: Circular Versus Rotational Motion
The axis of rotation could pass through the body itself or lie outside the body. If the axis passes through the body, the word spin may be used to describe the rotation. Revolution or orbit would refer to where the axis of rotation lies outside the rigid body