What is centripetal acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration refers to the acceleration experienced by an object that is moving along a circular path. This acceleration is directed towards the center of the circular path, allowing the object to maintain its curved trajectory rather than moving off in a straight line due to inertia.

When an object travels in a circle, its velocity is constantly changing, even though its speed may remain constant. This change in direction is what generates centripetal acceleration. The formula for centripetal acceleration is given by a_c = v²/r, where v is the speed of the object and r is the radius of the circular path. This equation shows that the acceleration is dependent on both the speed of the object and the radius of the circle it travels in.

Understanding centripetal acceleration is critical in various applications, such as in calculating the forces acting on vehicles turning around curves, satellites orbiting a planet, or any object requiring a centripetal force to stay in circular motion.