Question
What is centripetal acceleration?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration that occurs when an object moves in a circular path. It is directed towards the center of the circle around which the object is moving. This acceleration is necessary to change the direction of the object's velocity vector as it travels along the curve, allowing it to maintain its circular motion.
The magnitude of centripetal acceleration (\(a_c\)) can be calculated using the formula:
\[
a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}
\]
Where:
- \(v\) is the linear velocity of the object (the speed at which it moves along the circular path),
- \(r\) is the radius of the circular path.
Centripetal acceleration is always perpendicular to the object's velocity, meaning it does not change the speed of the object, only its direction. As a result, while the object moves with constant speed, its velocity is constantly changing due to the alteration in direction, which is why it experiences centripetal acceleration.
The magnitude of centripetal acceleration (\(a_c\)) can be calculated using the formula:
\[
a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}
\]
Where:
- \(v\) is the linear velocity of the object (the speed at which it moves along the circular path),
- \(r\) is the radius of the circular path.
Centripetal acceleration is always perpendicular to the object's velocity, meaning it does not change the speed of the object, only its direction. As a result, while the object moves with constant speed, its velocity is constantly changing due to the alteration in direction, which is why it experiences centripetal acceleration.