Centripetal Acceleration: Often Forgotten or Misinterpreted

Abstract

Acceleration is a fundamental concept in physics which is taught in mechanics at all levels. Here, we discuss some challenges in teaching this concept effectively when the path along which the object is moving has a curvature and centripetal acceleration is present. We discuss examples illustrating that both physics teachers and students have difficulty with this concept. We conclude with instructional strategies that may help students with this challenging concept.