Question

Calculate the magnitude and direction of the centripetal acceleration of the following objects moving in a circle:

A 2000 kg truck drives along a circular round a bout with a radius of 20 m at a constant speed of 10 m/s.

Answer 1

The magnitude and direction of the centripetal acceleration will be:

`a_c=5` m/s² (towards the center of the circle).

Step-by-step explanation:

Given

• v = 10 m/s

• r = 20 m

Using the formula to determine the centripetal acceleration

`a_c=(v^2)/(r)`

`a_c=(\left(10\right)^2)/(20)`

`\:a_c=(100)/(20)`

`a_c=5` m/s²

As the truck is moving in a circle, therefore the direction is towards the center of the circle.

Hence, the magnitude and direction of the centripetal acceleration will be:

`a_c=5` m/s² (towards the center of the circle).