Tangential acceleration is linked to the variation of speed as a function of time.
Tangential acceleration is the magnitude that links the variation of speed with time . For example, in the case of a car, the tangential acceleration depends on how the driver presses the accelerator. Thus, tangential acceleration is what increases or decreases the speed with which the vehicle moves .
Tangential acceleration differs from normal acceleration , which involves another perpendicular component into which the acceleration vector can be decomposed. Normal acceleration is one that reflects the change that occurs in the direction of velocity with time.
Returning to the car example, normal acceleration appears when the driver decides to turn the steering wheel and move the vehicle in direction. This leads us to recognize that an acceleration can have different directions , and that these can in turn point in the same direction as the speed (when the car is moving forward) or in the opposite direction (when the car is braking).
The term tangent , in this framework, indicates that the direction of the acceleration is the same as that of the tangential velocity, although its direction may be opposite. Normal acceleration, on the other hand, has the same direction as the radius of the circle , which is why it is perpendicular to the route drawn.
About tangential acceleration
The word acceleration refers to the action and effect of accelerating . This verb, for its part, represents an increase in speed. That is why it is important to differentiate between velocity (which shows the change in position of a body with respect to time ) and acceleration (which indicates how said speed changes).
On the other hand, acceleration is a vector magnitude that allows us to express the increase in speed in a unit of time. The International System establishes that this unit is the meter per second every second ( m/s² ).
To define and analyze the concept of tangential acceleration it is necessary to clarify that it is a term related to circular motion ; It describes a circular path around an axis about which it rotates, maintaining a constant radius. When the speed of said movement is also maintained over time, what is known as uniform circular motion (known as MCU ) takes place; This situation is considered a special case, given that there is no variation in any of its components, and it is more typical of theory than of practice.
Tangential acceleration is not equivalent to normal acceleration.
angular velocity
When a circular movement is carried out, the moving body has an angular velocity , since it constantly rotates with a certain inclination. The elements that make up its definition are the angle of rotation for each unit of time and the letter of the Greek alphabet used to designate it is ω (omega); According to the International System, this is expressed as radian per second, or rad/s . It is worth mentioning that although it is indicated to describe the rotational movement of rigid solid bodies, it can also be used for particles, especially if they move in a closed path, such as a circle or an ellipse.
On the other hand, the tangential speed is that which the body presents at a given moment in time , taking into account its direction and direction, as well as the radius through which it is traveling in a particular fraction of its trajectory. To measure it, the unit of space is taken into account by that of time, such as meters per second or kilometers per hour. Although to calculate it, it is possible to take the angular velocity as a reference, it is necessary to understand that this can be constant, while the tangential velocity can vary with each step, given the alterations in the route.