Question

A car traveling at a constant speed goes around a sharp curve. Is the car accelerating? Explain.

Answer 1

The answer is: Yes, the car is accelerating because it is changing direction as it goes around the curve.

- Because the direction of motion of an object even if the object is maintaining a constant speed still count as acceleration.

- Acceleration is a change in velocity, either in its magnitude i.e speed or in its direction or both.

- So, In a uniform circular motion, the direction of the velocity changes constantly, So there is always an associated acceleration, even though the speed might be constant.

-So when you go around a sharp curve if you hold the wheel steady during a turn and move at constant speed, you are in uniform circular motion. What you notice is a sideways acceleration because you and the car are changing direction.