Final answer:
The velocity of an object traveling in a circle is always tangent to the circular path, while the centripetal acceleration is directed toward the center of the path. This holds true at any instant during uniform circular motion, where the object moves at a constant speed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The velocity of an object traveling in a circle is always tangent to the circular path. This is true regardless of whether the object is traveling at a constant speed or not. Tangential velocity, by definition, is the instantaneous linear velocity of an object in rotational motion. It is always directed along the tangent to the path of the object. In contrast, the acceleration of an object in uniform circular motion, known as centripetal acceleration, is always directed toward the center of the circular path. This centripetal force causes the object to accelerate toward the center, thus ensuring the object remains in circular motion.
For an object moving in uniform circular motion, it is characterized by traveling on a circular path at a constant speed. The tangential velocity of an object in such motion is perpendicular to the radius of the circular path at every point on the path. This is because a straight line drawn from any point on the circular path to the center is always perpendicular to the tangential velocity at that point. The centripetal force, necessary for circular motion, is also directed towards the center of the circle, reinforcing the orientation of the tangential velocity to always be perpendicular to the radius.