Centripetal acceleration and tangential acceleration

AI Thread Summary
In circular motion, both tangential and centripetal accelerations are present, with tangential acceleration dependent on the initial and final angular velocities. The correct formula for tangential acceleration is aT = r * α, where α is the instantaneous angular acceleration. Centripetal acceleration, defined as aC = r * ωf², relies solely on the final angular velocity because it is responsible for maintaining circular motion by constantly directing the mass toward the center. This means that at any given point, centripetal acceleration varies only with the current angular velocity, not the initial one. The distinction lies in the nature of the forces involved in maintaining circular motion versus those affecting speed changes.
Maxo
Messages
160
Reaction score
1
When having a circular acceleration motion, we have both tangential acceleration and centripetal acceleration.

The tangential acceleration is aT=r*α where α=1/2*(ωf0). So we can see tha aT is dependant on both the initial angular velocity ω0 and the final ωf).

For centripetal acceleration, we instead have aC=r*ωf2.

My question is, how come the centripetal acceleration is only dependant on the final angular velocity, and not the initial?
Is there a physical explanation for this?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
First: α isn't 1/2*(ωf0). The correct equation is α = (ωf0)/(tf-t0).

Second: The equation above is the expression for the AVERAGE angular acceleration. If the circular motion is UNIFORMLY accelerated than you can use the average angular acceleration to calculate the tangential speed since angular acceleration is constant, otherwise you have to use the instantaneous angular acceleration - say αf and the expression for tangetial acceleration becomes aTf = r αf
 
Ok thanks for the correction. But I still wonder why the centripetal acceleration is only dependant on the final angular velocity, and not the initial angular velocity. Is there a physical explanation for this?
 
centripetal acceleration is caused to continue circular motion so at every point. so at that point it has to accelerate the mass toward center so as to change it direction.
now for at the point it has angular velocity omega then centripetal acceleration will vary with that only
 
Thread 'Is 'Velocity of Transport' a Recognized Term in English Mechanics Literature?'
Here are two fragments from Banach's monograph in Mechanics I have never seen the term <<velocity of transport>> in English texts. Actually I have never seen this term being named somehow in English. This term has a name in Russian books. I looked through the original Banach's text in Polish and there is a Polish name for this term. It is a little bit surprising that the Polish name differs from the Russian one and also differs from this English translation. My question is: Is there...
Hi there, im studying nanoscience at the university in Basel. Today I looked at the topic of intertial and non-inertial reference frames and the existence of fictitious forces. I understand that you call forces real in physics if they appear in interplay. Meaning that a force is real when there is the "actio" partner to the "reactio" partner. If this condition is not satisfied the force is not real. I also understand that if you specifically look at non-inertial reference frames you can...
Back
Top