Uniform circular motion (UCM) describes the motion of an object that moves at a constant speed along a circular path. While the object's speed remains constant, its direction of motion continuously changes. For UCM to occur, the net force on the object must be directed toward the center of the circle and be large enough to cause centripetal acceleration, which changes the direction of motion but not the speed. Key formulas define centripetal force, speed, and acceleration for objects in UCM.