Question about acceleration equations that can be used for a single object Can the centripetal acceleration equation a=(v^2)/r and the acceleration due to gravity equation a=(Gm)/(r^2) be used interchangeably to find the acceleration of a single object?

Taylor Barron

Taylor Barron

Answered question

2022-11-05

Question about acceleration equations that can be used for a single object
Can the centripetal acceleration equation a = v 2 r and the acceleration due to gravity equation a = G m r 2 be used interchangeably to find the acceleration of a single object?

Answer & Explanation

postotnojeyf

postotnojeyf

Beginner2022-11-06Added 16 answers

If the object is undergoing uniform circular motion in a gravitational field of G m / r 2 r ^ , then its acceleration will have a magnitude of v 2 / r towards the center of the circle.
If the object is not undergoing uniform circular motion, then a c = v 2 / r is only one component of the total acceleration. However, if the acceleration is due to gravity, then the magnitude of the acceleration is always going to be G m / r 2
Uriel Hartman

Uriel Hartman

Beginner2022-11-07Added 2 answers

You are confusing kinematics and dynamics.
Uniform circular motion has centripetal acceleration v 2 / r as simple kinematics, regardless of what dynamics are causing that acceleration. For example, it might be due the tension in a string rather than gravity.
G M / r 2 is dynamics: the acceleration caused by the gravityational force of a mass M. This acceleration does not necessarily have anything to do with uniform circular motion. For example, during gravitational radial infall the acceleration is not v 2 / r.
The two accelerations are never conceptually interchangeable. They happen to be numerically equal when you have an object in uniform circular motion due to gravity. This is of course no coincidence: the force of gravitational attraction is causing the centripetal acceleration.

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