What is the meaning of the sum of tan A and rad A?

1. Sep 27, 2009

Shing

Today I was doing a homework that asked me to calculate the sum of some particular tangential acceleration and radial acceleration in a circular motion.

We all know clearly about the concepts independently, but I wonder what the physical meaning the sum of the two accelerations is? Or it is just a some kinda tool like math?

2. Sep 27, 2009

Staff: Mentor

Presumably they want the vector sum of those two orthogonal components, which gives you the total acceleration of the body.

3. Sep 28, 2009

Shing

so what is the physical meaning of the total acceleration?
Is it something produced by the two accelerations' definitions?

4. Sep 28, 2009

diazona

It's the rate of change of velocity. Just the plain old regular acceleration that you've hopefully learned about before...

5. Sep 28, 2009

Gear300

Basically, any particle undergoing a curved path has an acceleration (which is what allows it to curve) - the components of the acceleration could have been taken in any direction not orthogonal to the acceleration, but since we have a conceptual basis of perpendicular to the path and tangent to the path, its easier to give the components in terms of those directions.

Last edited: Sep 28, 2009