Tangential and Centripetal Acceleration

Thread starter Brit412
Start date Oct 28, 2008
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Acceleration Centripetal Centripetal acceleration

In summary, tangential acceleration is the rate of change of an object's tangential velocity, while centripetal acceleration is the acceleration towards the center of a circular path. They are related in that they both contribute to the overall acceleration of an object in circular motion, with tangential acceleration determining the change in speed and centripetal acceleration determining the direction. The main difference between the two is their direction, with tangential acceleration being parallel to the direction of motion and centripetal acceleration being towards the center of the circular path. Tangential and centripetal acceleration can be calculated using different formulas, with tangential acceleration using the formula at = rα and centripetal acceleration using the formula ac = v2/r.

Oct 28, 2008

Brit412

Hi, I basically just have a concept question, if the tangential acceleration of an object is zero, can at the same time its centripetal acceleration be nonzero?

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Oct 28, 2008

christensen

short answer: yes

if you want a longer answer as to why just reply.

Oct 28, 2008

Brit412

Ok, that's what I thought. Thank you much.

What is tangential acceleration?

Tangential acceleration is the rate at which the tangential velocity of an object changes. It is the component of acceleration that is parallel to the direction of motion.

What is centripetal acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration that is directed towards the center of a circular path. It allows an object to continuously change direction without changing its speed.

How are tangential and centripetal acceleration related?

Tangential and centripetal acceleration are related because they both contribute to the overall acceleration of an object moving in a circular path. Tangential acceleration determines how fast the object's speed is changing, while centripetal acceleration determines the direction of the object's motion.

What is the difference between tangential and centripetal acceleration?

The main difference between tangential and centripetal acceleration is their direction. Tangential acceleration is parallel to the direction of motion, while centripetal acceleration is directed towards the center of the circular path.

How can tangential and centripetal acceleration be calculated?

Tangential acceleration can be calculated using the formula at = rα, where r is the radius of the circular path and α is the angular acceleration. Centripetal acceleration can be calculated using the formula ac = v2/r, where v is the tangential velocity and r is the radius of the circular path.