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Q.Obtain the formula for critical speed of a particle moving in a vertical circle.

Bihar BsebBihar Board Intermediate 1st Year 2025Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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The critical (minimum) speed at the top of a vertical circular path of radius r is vc=grv_c = \sqrt{gr}.

Consider a particle of mass mm tied to a string (or moving inside a circular track) of radius rr, moving in a vertical circle. At the topmost point of the circle, two forces act on the particle along the direction toward the centre (downward, at this point): the weight mgmg and the tension TT in the string (if any).

For circular motion, the net force toward the centre must supply the required centripetal force:

T+mg=mv2rT + mg = \dfrac{mv^2}{r}

The particle just barely completes the circle (the critical / minimum condition) when the string tension becomes zero — i.e. gravity alone provides exactly the centripetal force needed at that point:

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