Circular Motion

These types of problems deal with athletes running on a circular track

and questions being asked about when, where and how often would two or more athletes
cross each other.
Meeting for the First Time
When running in opposite directions:
Consider two friends, A and B, who are separated by 1500 meters and
they move towards each other at speeds of 40 m/s and 10 m/s. After how much time would
they meet?
This is a straight question on relative speed and the time taken to meet = 1500/(40+10) = 30
sec
When running in the same direction:
Consider a police traveling at 40 m/s chasing a thief traveling at 10 m/s.
If the distance between the police and thief when the chase starts is 1500 meters, find the
time after which the police catches up with the thief.
Again, the solution should be known by now as 1500/(40-10) = 50sec
Thus time taken to meet = Track Length /Relative Speed.
Frequency of meeting
Say two athletes start running from a same point on a circular track and meet after t units of
time. When they meet they are again together at a point (not necessarily the same point
where they started but nevertheless they are together). And if they continue running in
the direction they were running and at their respective speeds, then this instance can be
thought of as a new beginning, two athlete starting to run from a same point. And thus, from
this instant onwards, they would again meet after t units of time. And the reasoning
could be again argued similarly at their 2nd meeting. So considering the 2nd meeting as a
fresh start, they will again meet after t duration of time. Thus, the time after which they meet
for the first time is also the frequency with which they keep meet if they continue running at
their respective speeds and respective directions.
If the first meeting takes place after t duration after start, the nth meeting will take place
after n t duration after start.
Where would the first meeting take place?
Once the time is known after which two athletes, running on a circular

track, meet, we can find the distance run individually by them (rather
by any one of them) and find the exact position on the track where the
meeting takes place. Rather than measuring this distance in absolute
terms, it is more beneficial to measure this distance in terms of the track length.
Meeting for the First Time at Start :
The question of identifying after how much time would two or more athletes meet at the
starting point is an application of LCM rather than a problem of Time Speed Distance. The key
word here is meeting at the starting point. Please realize that this may not be the first time
that they meet. The could have crossed each other (met) at some other point on the track but
then that would not be counted as a meeting point for this question as it has not occurred at
the starting point.
Consider two athletes, A and B running on a circular track and taking x and y units of time to
complete one full circle.
A would reach the starting point for the first time after x units and thereafter would be at the
starting point after every x units. Similarly B would reach the starting point for the first time
after y units and thereafter would be at the starting point after every y units.
Thus, A and B would both be at the starting time after common multiple of x and y and the
first time that this would occur would be the LCM of x and y.
For these types of problems, it does not matter in which direction the two athletes are
running. Even if both are running clockwise or if one is running clockwise and other
anticlockwise, the time when they would be at the starting point would remain the same.
Another Important Approach: Relative Distances or Rounds run
When running in opposite directions they meet whenever together they have covered
one full round and hence at the nth meeting, together they would have covered n
rounds.
This is easy to understand. Since both start from common point and run in opposite
directions, at 1st meeting, if one runs f fraction of the track, the other has to run (1 f )
fraction of the track so that he is at same point. Thus, sum of distances run = f + (1 f ) i.e. 1
full round.
This is new beginning, and from now onwards, till 2nd meeting they would together again
cover 1 full round i.e. they would together cover 2 rounds since start. And so on.
When running in same directions
they meet whenever the faster one has covered 1 round more than the slower one
and hence at the nth meeting, the faster one would have covered n rounds more than
the slower one.
Consider both start from same point and run in same direction. Focus on the gap between

them. The faster one will race ahead of the slower one and a gap will start emerging between
them. As time passes the gap will start increasing.
Three or more people meeting
To find time when three or more people meet, find the time after which pairs of athletes
meet, such that at least one athlete is common to all the pairs (say, A & B, A & C, A & D, ).
The respective pairs will keep meeting after any multiple of the time found. At the LCM
of these durations of time, we are sure that A & B have met, that A and C have met, that A &
D have met and so on. But the only way that A could have met all these people at the same
instant is when all of them are together.
Position of the meeting points
These types of questions do not deal with when or how often do the
athletes meet when they are running on a circular track. These questions pertain to the
number of points and their placement on the circular track where the athletes can possibly
meet.
When running in the opposite directions:
If the ratio of speeds of two athletes (in the most reducible form) is a : b, the number of
distinct meeting points on the track would be would be a + b.
Position of the meeting points : When running in the same direction:
If the ratio of speeds of two athletes (in the most reducible form) is a : b, the number of
distinct meeting points on the track would be would be |a b|.
lcm of individual time to complete 1 round will give first meeting at starting point -- but wo
beech me bhi kahin mil sakte hai.........
Number of the meeting points ( for 3 or more people) --- find the hcf of meeting points of all
possible pair.
1. Two men , Jain Abhishek & Sood Saransh ,walk round a circle 1200 metres in
circumference. Jain walks at the rate 150 meters/miute , and sood walks @80 minutes per
minute. if both start at the same time from the same point & walk in the same direction. (a)
when will they 1st be together again at starting point.(b) when will they be together again (c)
no. of distinct meeting points.
a) lcm (time taken by jain to comlete 1 round,time taken by sood to complete 1 round) = lcm
(1200/150,1200/80) = 120 min.
c) since ratio ofspeed is 15:8 ===> no. of distinct point = 15-8 = 7

b) from the previous 2 question we can say that they are meeting 7 times in 120 min==> 1st
meeting will take after 120/7min( no need to use relative speed funda-- alwyas work on ratio
of speed)
In question 1--- (d) find the distance travelled & time required by Sood Saransh & Jain
Abhishek when they meet for 100th time. (e) when they meet for 100th time what is the
distace from the starting point to the point at which they will meet..in anticlock wise
direction........
If ratio of speeds is a:b (in its simplest form), then number distinct points of meeting will be
|a - b| is moving in same direction and |a + b| distinct points in case of opposite directions
d) ratio of speed = ratio of no. of rounds ===> no. of rounds covered by jain to sood = 15:8 ==>
here there is agap of 7 but for first meeting there must be a gap of 1 round so distance
covered by jain & sood when they meet for the first time = 15/7 & 8/7( in terms of rounds) so
at 100th meeting distance covered is 15/7*100 & 8/7&*100 ( in terms of round 1 round
=1200m) & time required = 120/7* 100.( avoid using relative speed work on ratio)
(e) since there are 7 distinct points : 100 = 7k+2; so 100th meeting point will coincide with 2nd
meeting point & when they meet for 2nd time no. of rounds covered covered by sood = 8/7
*2 = 16/7=2 +2/7==> 2/7 clockwise or anticlock wise depending upon whether they started
clockwise or anticlockwise respectively....... So soln will be CNB.
For opposite direction: 2. Two men , Jain Abhishek & Sood Saransh ,walk round a circle 1200
metres in circumference. Jain walks at the rate 150 meters/miute , and sood walks @80
minutes per minute. if both start at the same time from the same point & walk in the opposit
direction. (a) when will they 1st be together again at starting point.(b) when will they be
together again (c) no. of distinct meeting points. (d) find the distance travelled & time
required by Sood Saransh & Jain Abhishek when they meet for 100th time. (e) when they
meet for 100th time what is the distace from the starting point to the point at which they will
meet..in anticlock wise direction
2. a) lcm (time taken by jain to comlete 1 round,time taken by sood to complete 1 round) =
lcm (1200/150,1200/80) = 120 min.c) since ratio ofspeed is 15:8 ===> no. of distinct point =
15+8 = 23 b) from the previous 2 question we can say that they are meeting 23 times in 120
min==> 1st meeting will take after 120/23min( no need to use relative speed funda-- alwyas
work on ratio of speed) d) ratio of speed = ratio of no. of rounds ===> no. of rounds covered
by jain to sood = 15:8 ==> for first meeting distance covered by jain & sood when they meet
for the first time = 15/23 & 8/23( in terms of rounds) so at 100th meeting distance covered is
15/23*100 & 8/23&*100 ( in terms of round 1 round =1200m) & time required = 120/23*
100.( avoid using relative speed work on ratio) e) (e) since there are 23 distinct points : 100 =

23k+8; so 100th meeting point will coincide with 8th meeting point & when they meet for
12nd time no. of rounds covered covered by sood = 8/23 *8 = 64/23=2 +18/23==> 18/23
clockwise or anticlock wise depending upon whether they started clockwise or anticlockwise
respectively.......

Q.3.Three athletes A, B and C are running on a

circular track of length 1200 meters with speeds 30 m/s, 50 m/s and 80
m/s. A is running clockwise and B and C are running anticlockwise.
Find the time after which A and B will meet for the first time and
the frequency (in seconds) after which they will keep meeting.
Also find the sum of the distance (in fraction of the track length)
run by them till their first meeting.
no. of meeting points for a & b = 3+5 = 8 ( as direction is opposite so at first meeting a & b will
travel 3/8 & 5/8 ; at 2nd meeting 3/*2 & 5/8*2; at third meeting 3/8*3& 5/8*3 & so
on.................( i hope that concept is clear now)
Q4.Which of the following cannot be the ratio of speeds of two joggers
running on a circular jogging track if while running they meet
at a diametrically opposite point to the point from where both of
them started?
(1) 3 : 5 (2) 1 : 3 (3) 1 : 5 (4) 2 : 5
5. Consider athletes A , B & C running at speeds of 150 m/s , 70 m/s &110 m/s respectively on
a circular track of 1000 meters, A & B running clockwise and C anti-clockwise. If they keep
running indefinitely, at how many distinct point on the circle would they meet? what is the
distance covered by each when they meet for 100th time.
a:b = 15:7 so A&B will meet @ 8 points(as direction is same). b:c =7:11 so B&C will meet at 18
points ( as direction is opposite) so no. of distinct meeting points for all 3 = hcf(8,18) = 2, QED
since a:b:c = 15:7:11 so at first meeting distnce covered is 15/2,7/2&11/2 rounds ; at 2nd
meeting 15/2 *2,7/2 *2&11/2*2 rounds respectively & so on............
6. In a circular track, there are two points P and Q which are diametrically opposite.C starts
running clockwise with a speed of 4m/s from P. At the same time, from Q, A starts running
clockwise with a speed of 3 m/s and B starts running anti clockwise with a speed of 5 m/s. If
the length of the track is 300m, then after how much time will C be equidistant from A and B
for the first time.

6. B and C meets after 150/(4 + 5) = 50/3 seconds.

At this point distance between A and C is 150 + 50 - 200/3 = 400/3
So, suppose that from this moment on wards it take them t time to reach the situation when
C is equidistant from A and B
After time t, distance between A and C will be 400/3 + 3t - 4t = 400/3 - t and distance
between B and C will be 9t
9t = 400/3 - t
=> t = 40/3
So, after 50/3 + 40/3 = 30 seconds C will be equidistant from A and B for the first time
6) B has to pass C according to question
B and C will meet after 150/9 sec
in this mean A will run 3*150/9 = 50 mtr
B will = 5*150/9
C will = 4*150/9
now let after X time distance to A and B from C will be equal
C = 4X
B = 5X
A = 3X
distance between A and C = 50+5*150/9 = 400/3
distance between A and B = 100 + 4*150/9 = 500/3
400/3 + 3X - 4X = 4X + 5X
400/3 = 10X
=> X = 40/3
total time = 150/9 + 40/3 = 30 sec

7. Three boys A, B and C start running at constant speeds from the same point P along the
circumference of a circular track. The speeds
of A, B and C are in the ratio 5:1:1. A and B run clockwise while C runs in the anticlockwise
direction. Each time A meets B or C on the
track he gives them a card.What is the difference in the number of cards received by B and C
if A distributes 33 cards in all?
Ans:=> a:b:c= 5:1:1 ===> a&b meet at 4 distinct points ; a&c will meet at 6 distinct points.
when a complete 5 round b& c will complete 1 round ==> a meets b 4times & a meets c
6times ( one cycle is completed. so at the end of 3 cycle a meets b 12 times & with c 18
times.now in his 16th round A wiil meet with c but not with b ( as a& b are travelling in same
direction so a will be ahead of b) & in his 17th round he meet b & c once. so for b = 12+1 = 13
& for c = 18+2 = 20 ; so difference = 20-13=7
7) let speed of A , B , C = 5 , 1 , 1 km/hr
A and B runs in clock wise direction so , their total meeting points will be 4 and C runs in
anti clock wise direction so , their meeting points will be 6
let the distance be 5km
=> after 1st 5 rounds B = 4 cards and C = 6 cards
=> after 2nd 5 rounds B = 8 cards and C = 12 cards
=> after 3rd 5 rounds B = 12 cards and C = 18 cards
=> after 4th round B = 13 cards and C = 20 cards
so , difference = 20 - 13 = 7
8. Seven children A, B, C, D, E, F and G started walking from the same point at the same
time, with speeds in the ratio of 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6 : 7 respectively and they are running
around a circular park. Each of them was carry flags of different colours. Whenever two or
more
children meet then they place their respective flag at that point, however nobody places
more than 1 flag at a same point. They are
running in anti-clockwise direction. How many flags will be there in total, when there will
be no scope of putting more flags?
Ans: 21+15+10+6+3+1=56