Tangential and Radial Acceleration

Just because an object moves in a circle, it has a centripetal acceleration a_c, directed toward the center. We know this centripetal acceleration is given by

a_c = v² / r

This centripetal acceleration is directed along a radius so it may also be called the radial acceleration a_r.

If the speed is not constant, then there is also a tangential acceleration a_t.

The tangential acceleration is, indeed, tangent to the path of the particle's motion.

 

Circular Motion			Relative Motion
Return to ToC, Ch4, Two-Dimensional Motion

(c) Doug Davis, 2001; all rights reserved