Centripetal Acceleration

Circular Motion

An object moving in a circle at constant speed still accelerates — its direction changes continuously. This centripetal acceleration always points toward the centre:

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

• $v$ — speed (m/s)
• $r$ — radius of circular path (m)
• $a_c$ — centripetal acceleration (m/s²)

Centripetal Force

By Newton's second law, the net force required to maintain circular motion:

$F_c = m a_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}$

This is not a new kind of force — it is whatever force provides the centripetal acceleration (tension in a string, gravity for orbits, friction for a car cornering).

Examples

Your Task

Implement centripetal(v, r) returning centripetal acceleration in m/s².