Final answer:
Yes, an object can maintain a constant speed while still experiencing acceleration, such as in uniform circular motion where there is centripetal acceleration towards the center of the circle but the speed remains unchanged.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is indeed possible for speed to be constant while acceleration is not zero. An example of this would be an object moving in a circular path at a constant speed. In this scenario, the direction of the velocity is constantly changing, even though the speed (the magnitude of velocity) remains constant. This change in direction means that there is a change in velocity, and since acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes, the object is accelerating.
One must remember that acceleration concerns both changes in the magnitude and the direction of velocity. When an object moves in a circle, it experiences what is known as centripetal acceleration, which is directed towards the center of the circle. This acceleration is necessary for the object to follow the curved path, despite the speed being unchanging.
Therefore, the idea that acceleration must always be in the direction of motion is not accurate. An object moving in a circular motion at a constant speed with centripetal acceleration illustrates this concept clearly.