Centripetal Acceleration Calculator
Calculate centripetal acceleration for uniform circular motion using a = v² / r.
Centripetal Acceleration
20.0000 m/s²
Centripetal Acceleration vs Tangential Velocity
Fórmula
## Centripetal Acceleration An object moving in a circle at constant speed still accelerates because its direction changes. ### Formula **a_c = v² / r** This acceleration always points toward the center of the circular path.
Ejemplo Resuelto
A car travels at 10 m/s around a curve of radius 5 m.
- 01a_c = v² / r
- 02a_c = 100 / 5
- 03a_c = 20 m/s²
Preguntas Frecuentes
Why is there acceleration if speed is constant?
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, which is a vector. Even at constant speed, the direction changes continuously, so the velocity vector changes.
What direction does centripetal acceleration point?
It always points radially inward, toward the center of the circular path.
How does centripetal acceleration relate to angular velocity?
Since v = omega * r, we can write a_c = omega² * r, where omega is the angular velocity in radians per second.
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