Moderate

A body moving in a circular path of radius \( r \) has tangential acceleration and centripetal acceleration. If the body is moving at constant speed \( v \), what are the magnitudes of tangential and centripetal accelerations

Correct answer: B. Tangential acceleration \(= v^2/r\) and Centripetal acceleration \(= 0\)

  • A. Tangential acceleration \(= rv^2\) and Centripetal acceleration \(= 0\)
  • B. Tangential acceleration \(= v^2/r\) and Centripetal acceleration \(= 0\)
  • C. Tangential acceleration \(= 0\) and Centripetal acceleration \(= rv^2\)
  • D. Tangential acceleration \(= 0\) and Centripetal acceleration \(= v^2/r\)

Explanation

When a body moves at a constant speed in a circular path, its tangential acceleration is \(a_t = \frac{v^2}{r}\) and its centripetal acceleration is \(a_c = 0\).

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About Angular and Linear Quantities

Rotational motion relates angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration to linear displacement, tangential velocity and tangential acceleration through the radius. Questions use radians, v equals r omega and tangential acceleration, while distinguishing tangential velocity from centripetal acceleration and angular quantities from their linear counterparts.

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