Acceleration in circular motion

In summary, the conversation discussed the presence and direction of angular acceleration in circular motion. The direction of angular acceleration is given by the right-hand thumb rule and is present when angular velocity is changing with respect to time. It was also noted that at any instant, a particle has one acceleration vector, which can be resolved into tangential and radial components. The concept of angular acceleration is more useful for larger bodies, where the mass center may be accelerating in addition to rotation.
  • #1
ashraful
1
0

Homework Statement


In the case of circular motion,the direction of the velocity is changing in every moment.So,there is a angular accelleration here.What is the direction of this accelleration?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 
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  • #2
ashraful said:
,the direction of the velocity is changing in every moment
That is not angular acceleration. It's called 'centripetal' acceleration. Angular acceleration is present when angular velocity is changing w.r.t. time, which is zero in case of uniform circular motion.
 
  • #3
ashraful said:

Homework Statement


In the case of circular motion,the direction of the velocity is changing in every moment.So,there is a angular accelleration here.What is the direction of this accelleration?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


There are three accelerations.
Centripetal acceleration (##a_c##) - towards center.
Linear acceleration(##a##) - tangential to radius vector at an instant.
Angular acceleration(##\alpha##) - The direction is given by right-hand thumb rule. If motion is clockwise then direction is ##-\hat{k}## else ##\hat{k}##.
Note : here i assumed the motion to be horizontal in x-y plane, Direction of angular acceleration will vary if that is not the case.

The direction of angular acceleration does not change at every instant, that of course if particle does not switch between clockwise rotation and anti-clockwise rotation.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Buffu said:
There are three accelerations
The question only predicates acceleration implied by the circular motion. There may be other acceleration components, but not necessarily.
At any instant, a particle has one acceleration vector. You may choose to resolve it into a component in the direction of the velocity and a component normal to it. If there is a normal component then there is, instantaneously, a centre of arc. So these two components can be described as tangential and radial components respectively.
I suppose you could think of the tangential acceleration divided by the radius as an angular acceleration, but it doesn't gain anything. It is not a separate acceleration.
Angular acceleration is a more useful concept in the case of something larger, where the mass centre may be accelerating in whatever way, but the body is also rotating at a changing rate.
 
  • #5
haruspex said:
The question only predicates acceleration implied by the circular motion...
$$\alpha = {d\omega \over dt}$$
So angular acceleration is there in circular motion.

For the rest you are correct. But as OP asked the direction of ##\alpha##, I pointed it out.
 
  • #6
haruspex said:
The question only predicates acceleration implied by the circular motion.
Buffu said:
angular acceleration is there in circular motion.
Note the word "implied". I.e., that acceleration which is necessarily present, given that motion is circular. Angular acceleration may be present, but it is not implied.
Buffu said:
OP asked the direction of α, I pointed it out.
Yes, that was fine.
 

1. What is acceleration in circular motion?

Acceleration in circular motion refers to the rate of change of velocity in an object moving in a circular path. It is a vector quantity and is measured in meters per second squared (m/s^2).

2. How is acceleration in circular motion calculated?

The formula for calculating acceleration in circular motion is a = v^2/r, where a is acceleration, v is velocity, and r is the radius of the circular path. This formula is also known as the centripetal acceleration formula.

3. Is acceleration always present in circular motion?

Yes, acceleration is always present in circular motion because the direction of the velocity is constantly changing, which means there is a change in the velocity vector. This change in velocity results in acceleration.

4. What is the direction of acceleration in circular motion?

The direction of acceleration in circular motion is always towards the center of the circle. This is because the velocity vector is always tangential to the circle, and acceleration is perpendicular to the velocity vector.

5. How does the speed of an object affect the acceleration in circular motion?

The speed of an object does not affect the acceleration in circular motion. The only factors that affect acceleration in circular motion are the radius of the circular path and the square of the velocity. This means that as the velocity increases, the acceleration also increases, but the speed does not have a direct effect on the acceleration.

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