alleryStart learning →In uniform circular motion, the centripetal acceleration of an object points in which direction?
ATangent to the circular path
BDirectly toward the center of curvature
CDirectly away from the center of curvature
DAlong the object's average velocity
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Directly toward the center of curvature
1. The word centripetal literally means toward the center or center seeking.
2. This acceleration points directly toward the center of curvature of the circular path at every instant.
3. Tangent to the path describes the direction of linear velocity, not of the centripetal acceleration.
4. Pointing away from the center would describe a centrifugal direction, which is not the direction of a real centripetal acceleration.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation", section 6.2 Centripetal Acceleration_
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