Tangential Acceleration of uniform motion

[student 1]

Main Question or Discussion Point

How do you find the Magnitude of tangential acceleration if you have uniform circular motion? I know the formula for Tangential Acceleration; however I have no clue how to apply it to determine the Magnitude?

 

[Cyrus]

Its just the magnitude of the vector. It should just be V^2/r.

 

[tonyh]

How do you find the Magnitude of tangential acceleration if you have uniform circular motion? I know the formula for Tangential Acceleration; however I have no clue how to apply it to determine the Magnitude?

The formula in the previous post is incorrect (that's the magnitude of the *radial* component of the acceleration). What formula are you using for tangential acc?

 

[Doc Al]

How do you find the Magnitude of tangential acceleration if you have uniform circular motion? I know the formula for Tangential Acceleration; however I have no clue how to apply it to determine the Magnitude?

Do you mean centripetal acceleration? If something is performing uniform circular motion, its tangential acceleration is zero. Or do you mean non-uniform circular motion, which will have a tangential component of acceleration?

 

[student 1]

No, I mean tangential acceleration. That's probably the answer I'm looking for I just have to know how to express that the acceleration would be zero if it was uniform circular motion using words and one equation.

 

[student 1]

Im suppose to use At=[dv/dt].

 

[Doc Al]

Im suppose to use At=[dv/dt].

OK, where v is the speed, not the velocity vector. For uniform circular motion, dv/dt = 0.

 

[rcgldr]

Tangental acceleration can still exist on a object traveling in a circular path. The centripetal force just needs to change with respect to speed², so it always equals m |v|² / r.

The magnitude of tangental acceleration would be the magnitude of angular acceleration times r = |angular acceleration| x r.