Non-Uniform Circular Motion

[MD2B in 2010]

Hey guys I have a couple of quick questions:

1) If non-uniform circular motion is occurring, then is there actually a centripetal force, because the direction of the force and accleration is not directed towards the center of the object.
- Or is it called centripetal acceleration still because it is going in a circular manner, but not called centripetal force due to direction.
Because in non-uniform accleration the radial and tangential accel. determine direction as compared to centripetal acceleration in uniform circular motion.
Thought?

2) Also do you guys find yourselves having to use tangent calculations in MCAT problems? If so any tips or tricks to calculate.

Thanks,
Guys

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[isaacmn]

well, centripetal acceleration is a uniformed circular motion with constant velocity that keeps the object in a circular motion and always points towards the center of the object along with the force. Non-uniform circular motion is without a constant velocity and I believe its a tangential acceleration, which means if there are no centripetal force, instead of the object moving in a circular path, it will fall in tangent to the motion of the object. So no centripetal force for non-uniform motion, centripetal force only exits when there is centripetal acceleration. Fc=mv2/r

radial and centripetal acceleration are the same in uniformed acceleration but in non-uniform, the motion of the object is determined by resultant of the radial and tangential acceleration.

I dnt know what you mean by tangential acceleration on the mcat but I think knowing the centripetal force and its relationship is important

 

[MD2B in 2010]

Cool, I think I was just overthinking the variation in the two. I figure that if something is in non-circular motion, then it can't be classified as centripetal by any means. (centripetal acceleration, nor centripetal force). The accleration is just the resultant of the tangential and radial acclerations.

Thanks though