How big is acceleration perpendicular to path?
Note that acceleration to path points toward the center of the curve (the direction of DV)
October 6, 1998
Added reference material... Kinematics Kit in Exploratories.
Motion Concepts (Note that D means delta or change)
Position Along Path... x
Reference and initial position xo
Velocity Tangent to Path... V
V = Dx/Dt............ Dx = V Dt
Acceleration... a
a = DV/Dt ..............DV = a Dt
Along Path.... apath
Changes magnitude of V
Perpendicular to Path.... aperp
Changes direction of V
How big is acceleration perpendicular to path?
Note that acceleration to path points toward the center of the curve (the direction of DV)
If acceleration is not along path or perpendicular to path, it must be "broken" into components, apath and aperp, by drawing a rectangle with one side of rectangle along the velocity vector and the acceleration vector is the diagonal of the rectangle. See two examples below... the radius of curvature to the path of the particle is not shown.
V, apath, aperp
Describing Motion
Motion Diagrams . . .
Graphs...
Vectors...
Simulations
Interrelating descriptions
Constant Acceleration
