Practice Test/Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with Solutions o...
Accelerating objects are objects which are changing their velocity - either the speed (i.e., magnitude of the velocity vector) or the direction. An object undergoing uniform circular motion is moving with a constant speed. Nonetheless, it is accelerating due to its change in direction.
Practice Test/Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with Solutions o...
**Explanation:**
**Uniform Circular Motion:**
Uniform circular motion is the motion of an object in a circle at a constant speed. In this motion, the object moves along the circumference of the circle with a constant speed, but its velocity is continuously changing due to the change in direction.
**Centripetal Acceleration:**
In uniform circular motion, there is a force acting towards the center of the circle called the centripetal force. This force is responsible for continuously changing the direction of the object's velocity. As a result, the object experiences an acceleration towards the center of the circle, known as the centripetal acceleration.
**Acceleration in Uniform Circular Motion:**
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. Even though the object's speed remains constant in uniform circular motion, its velocity is changing because the direction is constantly changing. Therefore, there is a change in velocity, and consequently, there is an acceleration.
**Direction of Acceleration:**
In uniform circular motion, the acceleration is always directed towards the center of the circle. This is because the centripetal force, which is responsible for the circular motion, acts towards the center. The acceleration is perpendicular to the velocity vector and points towards the center of the circle.
**Magnitude of Acceleration:**
The magnitude of the acceleration in uniform circular motion can be calculated using the formula:
a = v² / r
where a is the acceleration, v is the speed of the object, and r is the radius of the circle.
**Conclusion:**
Based on the above explanation, we can conclude that in uniform circular motion, the body has an acceleration. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. The acceleration is directed towards the center of the circle and its magnitude depends on the speed of the object and the radius of the circle.