Question

a bike racer follows a circular indoor track racing at constant speed in what direction is their acceleration and why

Answer 1

The direction of the acceleration for a bike racer following a circular indoor track while racing at constant speed is towards the center of the circular track.

This is because acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. Even though the speed may be constant, velocity is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction. In circular motion, velocity is constantly changing because the direction of the bike racer's velocity vector is changing as they move along the circular track.

Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, the direction of the acceleration vector is towards the center of the circle. This acceleration is known as centripetal acceleration and is responsible for causing the bike to continuously change its direction to maintain a circular path.