How Can an Object Accelerate Towards the Center Without Ever Getting Any Closer to the Center

Uniform Round Motion

Uniform circular motion can be described equally the move of an object in a circumvolve at a constant speed. Every bit an object moves in a circle, information technology is constantly irresolute its direction. At all instances, the object is moving tangent to the circle. Since the direction of the velocity vector is the same as the direction of the object'southward motility, the velocity vector is directed tangent to the circle too. The animation at the right depicts this by means of a vector arrow.

An object moving in a circle is accelerating. Accelerating objects are objects which are changing their velocity - either the speed (i.due east., magnitude of the velocity vector) or the direction. An object undergoing uniform circular motion is moving with a constant speed. Nonetheless, it is accelerating due to its modify in management. The direction of the acceleration is inwards. The animation at the right depicts this by ways of a vector arrow.

The last motion characteristic for an object undergoing uniform circular motion is the net force. The net force acting upon such an object is directed towards the middle of the circle. The net force is said to be an inward or centripetal force. Without such an in force, an object would continue in a directly line, never deviating from its management. Yet, with the inward cyberspace force directed perpendicular to the velocity vector, the object is e'er irresolute its direction and undergoing an inwards acceleration.

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For more information on physical descriptions of motion, visit The Physics Classroom Tutorial. Detailed data is bachelor about the following topics:

Velocity

Dispatch

Net Forcefulness and Acceleration

Circular Motion and Tangential Velocity

Round Motion and Acceleration

The Centripetal Force Requirement

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Source: https://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/circmot/ucm.cfm