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  • Centripetal Acceleration: Understanding Circular Motion
    The magnitude of the acceleration of an object moving in a circle at constant speed is given by:

    a = v²/r

    where:

    * a is the acceleration (also called centripetal acceleration)

    * v is the speed of the object

    * r is the radius of the circular path

    Explanation:

    Even though the object's speed is constant, its velocity is constantly changing because its direction is changing. This change in velocity is what causes the acceleration.

    The acceleration is always directed towards the center of the circle, which is why it's called centripetal acceleration (meaning "center-seeking").

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