Velocity is always TANGENT to the path. Acceleration, in general, has BOTH tangential and normal components. The normal component of acceleration always points INWARD to the path. The tangential ...

- another which is perpendicular to the tangential acceleration: normal or centripetal acceleration Why does instantaneous acceleration break down into two perpendicular vectors, one tangential to the ...

As expected, the acceleration of P has both non-zero tangential and normal components. From the equation provided for speed as a function of distance traveled, the speed of P is monotonically ...