Question

What is the normal force in vertical circular motion?

Answer 1

1. When an object moves, it follows either linear motion or circular motion. In these motion, two forces are going to act for sure that is gravitational force and normal force.
2. The normal force acts when the surfaces are in contact. Thus, there is a normal force in circular motion.
3. This normal always acts towards the centre.
4. When an object starts moving in a circular path from point B. We can see that the weight $W$, is acting downward. The normal force, $N$ is acting perpendicularly to the object, and the centripetal force $F$, is acting towards the centre.

2. Now the particles move to point A. Here we can see that weight acts downwards while both centripetal force and a normal force act in the same direction.

Hence, the normal force in vertical circular motion is nothing but the centripetal force.