- #1
eventob
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Hi
I've been working through some examples from the course material we use in physics class, but one thing keeps confusing me: What is the difference between centripetal and radial acceleration?
For instance, when we have a particle traveling in a circular path, the acceleration towards the center of the circle may be written as Ar (a sub r)=-Ac= - v^2/r, while other times it is written simply as Ac=v^2/r. The textbook (JS Physics for Scientists and Engineers) seems to use both.
Where is the negative sign coming from? I made a quick sketch. Am I right if i think that the radial acceleration is negative in the first circle (to the left) and it is positive in the circle to the right? Is it just due to how I pick the axis and how I define positive direction?
Thanks in advance.
I've been working through some examples from the course material we use in physics class, but one thing keeps confusing me: What is the difference between centripetal and radial acceleration?
For instance, when we have a particle traveling in a circular path, the acceleration towards the center of the circle may be written as Ar (a sub r)=-Ac= - v^2/r, while other times it is written simply as Ac=v^2/r. The textbook (JS Physics for Scientists and Engineers) seems to use both.
Where is the negative sign coming from? I made a quick sketch. Am I right if i think that the radial acceleration is negative in the first circle (to the left) and it is positive in the circle to the right? Is it just due to how I pick the axis and how I define positive direction?
Thanks in advance.