Question

A particle of mass m uniformly accelerates as it moves counterclockwise along the circumference of a circle of radius r.

a) The particle experiences centripetal acceleration.
b) The particle moves with constant velocity.
c) The particle undergoes angular deceleration.
d) The mass of the particle is irrelevant to its motion.

Answer 1

The particle experiences centripetal acceleration as it moves counterclockwise along the circumference of the circle. The particle does not move with constant velocity, but its velocity is constantly changing due to the changing direction of its motion. The particle does not undergo angular deceleration; instead, it undergoes angular acceleration.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, the particle experiences centripetal acceleration as it moves along the circumference of the circle. Centripetal acceleration always points toward the center of rotation and its magnitude is given by ac = v²/r, where v is the velocity of the particle and r is the radius of the circle.

The particle does not move with constant velocity, as its velocity is constantly changing due to the changing direction of its motion.

The particle does not undergo angular deceleration. Instead, it undergoes angular acceleration because its velocity vector is constantly changing direction.

The mass of the particle is relevant to its motion as it affects the magnitude of the centripetal force required to keep the particle moving in a circular path.