Centripetal Acceleration

Lesson 5.
Centripetal
Acceleration
General Physics 1/2

1
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
An accelerating object experiences a net
force that is in the same direction as the
acceleration.
2
Thus, for something
that is moving in a
circular path, an
inward force is
necessary to cause
an inward
acceleration.
3
Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the
following:
● Infer quantities associated with circular

motion such as tangential velocity, centripetal
acceleration, tangential acceleration, and
radius of curvature (STEM_GP12KIN-Ic25).
● Solve problems involving two dimensional

motion in contexts such as Ferris wheels
(STEM_GP12KIN-Ic26).
4
Centripetal Acceleration
5
Centripetal Force
Imagine a can being spun

midair on its end from a
string.
This string transfers what we

refer to as centripetal force
to tug the can into a circular
path.
6
Centripetal Force
Centripetal force, derived from Greek terms which

literally mean “seeking the center”, refers to a force
that is directed toward a fixed focal point.
7
Calculations in Uniform Circular
Motions
The magnitude of acceleration of any given object that

undergoes uniform circular motion is expressed as:
8
Magnitude of Acceleration
If frequency and period of time is given, we can use

this equation to solve for acceleration.
9
How do we determine the
magnitude of acceleration of
an object moving with a
uniform circular motion?
10
Let’s Practice!
Consider a planet that has a radius of 4.5 ✕

106 m and in which each day lasts 120 000
seconds. What will be the centripetal
acceleration of an object found on the planet’s
surface right on the equator?
11
Let’s Practice!
Consider a planet that has a radius of 4.5 ✕

106 m and in which each day lasts 120 000
seconds. What will be the centripetal
acceleration of an object found on the planet’s
surface right on the equator?
The centripetal acceleration of the object found

on the planet’s surface right on the equator is
0.0123 m/s2.
12
Try It!
An object, moving in a uniform

circular motion, has a radius of
5.88 m and takes 0.25 s to
complete its turn. Determine the
centripetal acceleration of a point
on its surface.
13
Let’s Practice!
A race car has a centripetal acceleration of 9.6

m/s2. If it is travelling at a constant speed of
42 m/s, what is the radius of the curvature of
its path?
14
Let’s Practice!
A race car has a centripetal acceleration of 9.6

m/s2. If it is travelling at a constant speed of
42 m/s, what is the radius of the curvature of
its path?
The radius of the path’s curvature is 183.75 m.
15
Try It!
If a vehicle moving in uniform

circular motion has a centripetal
acceleration of 10.5 m/s2 and a
constant speed of 37.67 m/s,
calculate the radius of its circular
path.
16
Let’s Practice!
A 125 g ball attached on a string's end

uniformly revolves in a horizontal circle. If the
radius of its curvature is 0.550 m and it makes
2.50 revolutions per second, what is its
centripetal acceleration?
17
Let’s Practice!
A 125-g ball attached on a string's end

uniformly revolves in a horizontal circle. If the
radius of its curvature is 0.550 m and it makes
2.50 revolutions per second, what is its
centripetal acceleration?
The centripetal acceleration of the ball is

135.76 m/s2.
18
Try It!
Another uniformly-revolving ball on

a string has a circular-path radius
of 0.657 m and makes 3.17
revolutions in a second. Determine
its centripetal acceleration.
19
Check Your
Understanding
Identify what is being referred to in the
statements that follow.
1. It is the acceleration of an object traversing a

circular path with constant speed.
2. It is a term used to denote a force that “seeks the
center”.
3. This is the direction of the vector for acceleration in
relation to the vector for velocity of a uniformly
revolving object.
20
Check Your
Understanding
For items 1 to 3, assuming that the other
variables are kept at constant, infer the change
that will take place in the magnitude of the
centripetal acceleration of an object when the
following actions are undertaken:
1. The velocity of the object has been quadrupled.
2. The mass of the object has been doubled.
3. The radius of the path’s curvature has doubled.
21
Let’s Sum It Up!
● Uniform circular motion is also called

centripetal acceleration, and is denoted by
the variable arad. This is due to the fact that
the acceleration at any given point of an
object traversing a circular path with constant
speed is along the circle’s radius and
directed towards the center.
22
Let’s Sum It Up!
● Centripetal force, which literally means

“seeking the center”, refers to a force that is
directed toward a fixed focal point.
23
Let’s Sum It Up!
● The vector for velocity v and the vector for

acceleration a are always perpendicular to
each other for objects with uniform circular
motion. The speed remains constant, but the
acceleration is not zero.
24
Let’s Sum It Up!
● Frequency (f) is the number of revolutions in

a unit of time, and period/time (T) is the
amount of time that the object has taken to
complete its trip in the curvature.
25
Key Formulas
Concept Formula Description
Use this equation to

Centripetal
calculate the
Acceleration
where centripetal
● arad is the magnitude of acceleration of an
acceleration of an object in object when the
uniform circular motion; speed and radius
● v is the speed of the of the path’s
object, and curvature are given.
● R is the radius of the
circular path taken by the
object.
26
Key Formulas
Concept Formula Description
Use this equation to

Centripetal
calculate the
Acceleration
where centripetal
● arad is the magnitude of acceleration of an
acceleration of an object in object when the time
uniform circular motion; interval and radius
● R is the radius of the of the path’s
circular path, and curvature are given.
● T is the period of motion.
27
Challenge Yourself
Do you think the acceleration

and velocity vectors will remain
perpendicular for objects
traversing with a nonuniform
circular motion? Explain your
answer.
28
Bibliography
Faughn, Jerry S. and Raymond A. Serway. Serway’s College Physics (7th ed). Singapore:
Brooks/Cole, 2006.
Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics Principles with Applications (7th ed). USA: Pearson Education,
2014.
Macalalad, E. P. and Vergara, R. L. 2011. Exploring the Realms of Science: Physics. Valenzuela
City: JO-ES Publishing House, Inc.
Serway, Raymond A. and John W. Jewett, Jr. Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern
Physics (9th ed). USA: Brooks/Cole, 2014.
Young, Hugh D., Roger A. Freedman, and A. Lewis Ford. Sears and Zemansky’s University
Physics with Modern Physics (13th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2012.
29

Centripetal Acceleration

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centripetal Acceleration

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centripetal Acceleration

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 5.

General Physics 1/2

● Infer quantities associated with circular

● Solve problems involving two dimensional

Imagine a can being spun

This string transfers what we

Centripetal force, derived from Greek terms which

The magnitude of acceleration of any given object that

If frequency and period of time is given, we can use

Consider a planet that has a radius of 4.5 ✕

Consider a planet that has a radius of 4.5 ✕

The centripetal acceleration of the object found

An object, moving in a uniform

A race car has a centripetal acceleration of 9.6

A race car has a centripetal acceleration of 9.6

The radius of the path’s curvature is 183.75 m.

If a vehicle moving in uniform

A 125 g ball attached on a string's end

A 125-g ball attached on a string's end

The centripetal acceleration of the ball is

Another uniformly-revolving ball on

1. It is the acceleration of an object traversing a

● Uniform circular motion is also called

● Centripetal force, which literally means

● The vector for velocity v and the vector for

● Frequency (f) is the number of revolutions in

Concept Formula Description

Use this equation to

Concept Formula Description

Use this equation to

Do you think the acceleration

You might also like