2.9 Circular Motion

Centripetal Acceleration

Objects that move in a circular path are considered to be in circular motion. If their speed is constant, then they are in uniform circular motion. The values that can be extrapolated from their circular path is the tangential speed at any point along the path, which is just the linear speed of the object, and also the radius of the circle that the object traveling makes. In order for this object to be moving in a circle, the acceleration needs to be acting towards the center of this circle. This makes it so that the speed of the object traveling in a circle stays constant while its direction changes in a circle. This value is called the centripetal acceleration.

a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}

${a_c}$ represents the centripetal acceleration
${v}$ represents the tangential speed of the object
${r}$ represents the radius of the circular path of the object

For example, an object moving in a circle of radius ${50m}$ at a velocity of ${10\frac{m}{s}}$ will need to have a centripetal acceleration of ${2\frac{m}{s^2}}$ , as ${2\frac{m}{s^2}=\frac{(10\frac{m}{s})^2}{50m}}$

Centripetal Acceleration

In this unit

Continue the full lesson in Stellar