Since ∆v = v 2 − v 1 points toward the center of the circle (see the figure on the
right), so does the acceleration, since a = ∆v/∆t. And because the acceleration
vector points toward the center of the circle, it’s called centripetal acceleration,
or ac. The centripetal acceleration is what turns the velocity vector to keep the
object traveling in a circle.
The magnitude of the centripetal acceleration depends on the object’s
speed, v, and the radius, r, of the circular path according to the following
equation:
- An object of mass 5 kg moves at a constant speed of 6 m/s in a