Question

What is the direction of the tangential speed when a car is driving around a circular curve?

toward the center of the curve
out from the center of the curve
straight ahead, in the direction the car is moving
straight behind, in the opposite direction the car is moving

Answer 1

straight ahead, in the direction the car is moving

Step-by-step explanation:

when an object is moving around a circular curve, the tangential speed of the object has a direction which is tangent to the curve: therefore, it must go straight ahead, in the direction the car is moving.

On the contrary, the centripetal acceleration of the object (which keeps the object in circular motion) has a direction which is toward the center of the curve.

Answer 2

You're not going to believe this coincidence:. The "tangential" speed is the speed in the direction of the "tangent" to the circle. That's straight ahead, in the direction the car is moving. Since the car is driving in a circle, the tangential direction keeps changing.