Final answer:
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It is always perpendicular to the linear velocity of the object and has the magnitude given by the formula ac = v² / r.
Step-by-step explanation:
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It is always perpendicular to the linear velocity of the object and has the magnitude given by the formula ac = v² / r, where v is the linear velocity and r is the radius of the circle.