What is the angle between the velocity vector and the acceleration vector of an object moving in uniform circular motion?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the angle between the velocity vector and the acceleration vector of an object moving in uniform circular motion?
0°
45°
90°
180°
In uniform circular motion, velocity is tangential and acceleration is radial, hence the angle is 90°.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the angle between the velocity vector and the acceleration vector of an object moving in uniform circular motion?
Solution: In uniform circular motion, velocity is tangential and acceleration is radial, hence the angle is 90°.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand that uniform circular motion means an object is moving in a circle at a constant speed.
Step 2: Identify the direction of the velocity vector. In circular motion, the velocity vector points tangentially to the circle at any point.
Step 3: Identify the direction of the acceleration vector. In uniform circular motion, the acceleration vector points towards the center of the circle (this is called centripetal acceleration).
Step 4: Visualize the two vectors. The velocity vector (tangential) and the acceleration vector (radial) are perpendicular to each other.
Step 5: Conclude that since the two vectors are perpendicular, the angle between the velocity vector and the acceleration vector is 90°.