Does acceleration change in non-uniform circular motion?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of acceleration in non-uniform circular motion, specifically addressing whether the magnitude of acceleration changes when an object accelerates at a constant rate while moving in a circular path.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between tangential and centripetal acceleration, questioning how these components interact to determine the total acceleration. There is a suggestion to examine the formulas for both types of acceleration and their implications in the context of circular motion.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants offering insights into the nature of centripetal force and its role in accommodating changes in speed. Some participants are considering the implications of static friction in practical scenarios, while others are focused on the mathematical relationships involved.

Contextual Notes

There is an emphasis on the need to understand how different components of acceleration contribute to the overall motion, and participants are encouraged to think critically about the assumptions related to forces and motion in circular paths.

jasmaar
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Homework Statement


If an object is increasing speed at a constant rate around a circle, does the magnitude of acceleration change since there are both the tangential acceleration component (whose magnitude is constant) and the centripetal component (which changes in magnitude as the object increases in speed)?
 
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You could check whether speed appears in the formula for centripetal acceleration and in the formula for tangential acceleration, and consider how centripetal and tangential acceleration combine to make up the total acceleration.
 
The shape of the path depends on the strength of the centripetal force. a = v^2/r still holds for circular paths, even if there is a tangential acceleration. What happens is that the centripetal force accommodates the change. When driving a car and accelerating a curve, its because the static friction (centripetal force) is able to to increase to accommodate the increasing speed...although at some point it may not be able to handle it any further and you slide off.
 
Write the relation for resultant acceleration.
 

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