Question

(a) Is it possible to be accelerating while traveling at constant speed? Is it possible to round a curve with (b) zero acceleration and (c) a constant magnitude of acceleration?

Short answer

1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes

Step-by-step solution

Given information

Different conditions to check the possibility of acceleration.

To understand the concept

This problem is based on concept of centripetal acceleration due to motion on curved path.

Formulae:

$a=\frac{v^2}{r}$

(a) Is it possible to be accelerating while travelling at constant speed?

It’s possible to be accelerating with constant speed if, direction is continuously changing. i.e. circular motion with constant speed. Because acceleration is a vector quantity.

(b) Is it possible to round a curve with zero acceleration?

It’s not possible because there is acceleration due to change in direction of velocity.

(c) Is it possible to round a curve with a constant magnitude of acceleration?

It’s possible to round a curve with a constant magnitude of acceleration because if circular motion is constant, acceleration is also constant.