Question

A car is moving with a speed of $30m/s$ on a circular track of radius $500m$. Its speed is increasing at a rate of $2.0m/s^2$. Determine the magnitude of its acceleration.

Answer 1

The acceleration has 2 components: tangential $(a_t=2m/s^2)$ and centripetal $(a_r=\frac{v^2}{r}=\frac{{30}^2}{500}=1.8m/s^2)$

Net acceleration $=\sqrt{2^2+{1.8}^2}m/s^2=2.69m/s^2$