Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-2/section-b/b8/a/solution
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2012 Paper 2 Section B B8 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Let a frame's origin have inertial acceleration and its axes rotate with angular velocity . For position and velocity measured in that frame, Newton's law becomesThe extra terms are translational, Coriolis, Euler and centrifugal inertial forces. Centrifugal force points away from the rotation axis; Coriolis force deflects moving bodies sideways and does no instantaneous work on their relative motion, since it is perpendicular to . The Euler term appears when the rotation rate or axis changes.
For constant , centrifugal force has potential . It can be combined with a conservative real potential to find rotating-frame equilibria. The Coriolis term remains velocity dependent. These forces arise from describing acceleration in a noninertial frame; they are not additional interactions between bodies. They are essential for trajectories on rotating apparatus and for large-scale terrestrial motions. Frame-dependent terms must be included consistently with the chosen coordinates.
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