Acceleration in Two Dimensions

[Violagirl]

Homework Statement

A car initially traveling due north goes around a semicircle having a radius of 500 m at a constant speed of 20 m/s. A) How long does this take? B) What is the magnitiude and direction of the average acceleration?

Homework Equations

a = Δv_x/Δt(xhat)+Δv_y/Δt(yhat)

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm stumped as to how to start this problem. I drew out a half circle with the radius showing 500 m for the distance. I'm not sure if I'm missing a formula or what as I didn't see anything relevant for circles on my formula sheet from my class. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Dick]

Homework Statement

A car initially traveling due north goes around a semicircle having a radius of 500 m at a constant speed of 20 m/s. A) How long does this take? B) What is the magnitiude and direction of the average acceleration?

Homework Equations

a = Δv_x/Δt(xhat)+Δv_y/Δt(yhat)

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm stumped as to how to start this problem. I drew out a half circle with the radius showing 500 m for the distance. I'm not sure if I'm missing a formula or what as I didn't see anything relevant for circles on my formula sheet from my class. Any help is appreciated.

For one thing for motion in two dimensions, acceleration is a vector quantity. It has x and y components. You don't add them. But you didn't do part A yet. What's the Δt?