Here's why:
* Acceleration is a change in velocity. Velocity has both speed and direction.
* A change in direction is a change in velocity. Even if the speed remains constant, a change in direction means the velocity is changing, and therefore, there is acceleration.
Examples:
* Circular motion: Imagine a car driving around a roundabout at a constant speed. The car is constantly changing direction, which means it's constantly accelerating towards the center of the circle. This is called centripetal acceleration.
* Object in orbit: A satellite orbiting the Earth at a constant speed is also accelerating. It's constantly changing direction to maintain its orbit, due to the Earth's gravitational pull.
Key takeaway: Acceleration is about a change in velocity. A change in speed is one way to achieve acceleration, but a change in direction is another way.