Question

Is acceleration zero in uniform circular motion?

Answer 1

Acceleration of a body is defined as the time rate of change of velocity.A body moving in a circular direction is known as circular motion. Uniform circular motion represents the motion of a body in a circular path with constant velocity.

Complete step by step answer:
Uniform circular motion can be defined as the motion of an object which is moving in a circular direction at a constant speed. As an object is moving along a circular direction, it is constantly changing its direction. At all points of its movement, the object is moving tangentially to the circle. Since the direction of the velocity vector is the same as the direction of the motion of the object, the velocity vector is also directed towards the tangent to the circle.

It is known to us that an object moving in a circle is accelerating. Accelerating objects are those objects which are changing their velocity or speed or the direction. An object which is following uniform circular motion is moving with a constant velocity. But still it is accelerating due to its change in direction and the direction of the acceleration is inwards.

The final characteristic of the motion for an object which is undergoing uniform circular motion is the net force. The net force acting upon such an object is directed towards the center of the circle. The net force is thus said to be the centripetal force. Without the centripetal force, an object would continue to travel in a straight line and never unfollow from its direction. Yet, with the centripetal force directed perpendicular to the velocity vector, the object is always changing its direction and undergoing an inward acceleration.

So, during a uniform circular motion tangential acceleration is zero due to its constant angular velocity.

Note: It must be noted that during a uniform circular motion, the tangential acceleration is zero as the angular velocity is constant. But there is another acceleration which acts on that body and causes the change in its direction known as the centripetal acceleration. It acts towards the center of movement and hence is the cause of circular motion of a body.