ABSTRACT
The study of objects in circular motion is the focus of this chapter. Centripetal acceleration is introduced in a geometric derivation as acceleration associated with an object in circular motion. This is done to underscore that centripetal acceleration is associated with objects in circular motion no matter what the physical situation. The expression of the centripetal force as the product of the mass of the object in circular motion and the acceleration of this object as the net force that points toward the center of the motion is emphasized by employing the same process of dynamics to several examples with different forces acting as the net force. To help facilitate the answer to the chapter question about a centrifuge, a brief introduction to the terminology of periodic systems is provided before the chapter question is answered. The appendix of this chapter is the second synthesis opportunity about the workings of a mass spectrometer that employs the concepts of the electric force, the magnetic force, and the analysis of circular motion.
