When Does an Object Experience Only Centripetal Acceleration in Circular Motion?

  • #1
Riemannenthusiast
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Hey guys,
Theres something I've been confused about when looking at circular motion. When does an object have just centripetal acceleration as the acceleration of the object, if ever. I think that the acceleration vector is between the centripetal and tangential acceleration when an objects like in a loop, so the acceleration is in between the two vectors, so it there any time when there isn't tangential acceleration? I feel like I am not understanding something
 
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  • #2
Riemannenthusiast said:
Theres something I've been confused about when looking at circular motion. When does an object have just centripetal acceleration as the acceleration of the object, if ever. I think that the acceleration vector is between the centripetal and tangential acceleration when an objects like in a loop, so the acceleration is in between the two vectors, so it there any time when there isn't tangential acceleration? I feel like I am not understanding something
When the acceleration is perpendicular to the velocity.
 
  • #3
If the rotation rate and the radius are not changing, then there is no tangential acceleration. Something sitting on a rotating platter has no tangential acceleration as long as the rotation rate of the platter does not change.
 
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