Asked in ETEA MDCAT 2013 2013Moderate

An object travels at constant speed around a circle of radius 1.0 m in 1.0 s. what is the magnitude of its acceleration?

Correct answer: D. 4π2 ms-2

  • A. Zero
  • B. 1.0 ms-2
  • C. 2π ms-2
  • D. 4π2 ms-2

Explanation

To find the magnitude of the acceleration of an object moving in a circle, we use the formula for centripetal acceleration: a = ω²r. In this case, the angular velocity ω is 2π rad/s because the object completes one full circle (2π radians) in 1 second. The radius r is given as 1.0 m. Substituting these values, we find that the acceleration a = (2π)²(1) = 4π² ms-2.The other options are incorrect because they either assume no acceleration (which ignores the change in direction), or they use incorrect calculations or interpretations of the formula for centripetal acceleration.

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