Final answer:
Centripetal acceleration occurs when an object travels in a curved path, and is directed toward the center of the path. This acceleration results from the centripetal force, which is necessary for an object to maintain uniform circular motion according to Newton's second law of motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an object travels in a curved path, what primarily occurs is C. Centripetal acceleration. Centripetal acceleration is defined as the acceleration of an object moving in a circular path and directed radially toward the center of the circular orbit. An object undergoing uniform circular motion experiences centripetal force, which is the net force causing the object's circular motion. This force acts perpendicularly to the object's linear velocity and always points toward the center of rotation.
Newton's second law of motion articulates that net force is mass times acceleration, Fnet = ma. Hence, for an object moving in a uniform circular motion, the acceleration is centripetal acceleration, and the magnitude of the centripetal force Fc can be calculated by Fc = mac, where m is the mass of the object, a is the acceleration, and c indicates that this is centripetal (center-seeking) acceleration.