# Derivation Centripetal Acceleration and Force

Level 2 (without higher mathematics)
Level 2 requires school mathematics. Suitable for pupils.
Updated by Alexander Fufaev on

In the following we want to derive the formula for the centripetal acceleration $$a_{\text{z}}$$ (also called radial force). We are dealing here with a uniform circular motion, that is the magnitude $$v$$ of the orbital velocity $$\boldsymbol{v}$$ of the body is constant at every point on the circular path.

## Derivation of the centripetal acceleration

Consider a body moving with a constant magnitude of velocity $$v$$ on a circular path with radius $$r$$.

The velocity vector $$\boldsymbol{v}$$ (shown here in bold) is a vector whose direction is tangent to the circular path at every point along the circular path. Although the magnitude $$v$$ of the velocity is constant for uniform circular motion, its direction changes as the body circles.

The change of velocity results in an acceleration $$\boldsymbol{a}$$ of the body. Acceleration is defined as the derivative of velocity $$\boldsymbol{v}$$ with respect to time $$t$$. To make the derivation 'illustrative', we do not consider the derivative, but its approximation:

Acceleration is equal to velocity change per time
Formula anchor

If you consider a very small (infinitely small) time span $$\Delta t$$, you get the exact value of the acceleration (called: instantaneous acceleration).

Let us assume that the body is at a time $$t_1$$ at the position $$S_1$$ on the circular path and has the orbital velocity $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$. At a later time $$t_2$$ the body is at the position $$S_2$$ on the circular path. It has moved a little further within the time $$\Delta t$$ and has covered the distance $$\Delta s$$.

At the position $$S_2$$ the body has a different velocity vector $$\boldsymbol{v}_2$$, because the direction of the velocity has changed (because the body moves on a curved path). The magnitude $$v$$ naturally remains the same for a uniform circular motion:

Magnitude of the velocity is constant
Formula anchor

The difference between the two velocity vectors indicates the change in velocity:

Change of the velocity direction
Formula anchor

If we consider a very small time span $$\Delta t$$, then the distance traveled $$\Delta s$$ also becomes small. So small that $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$ and $$\boldsymbol{v}_2$$ are approximately parallel to each other. (After an infinitely small time span, the velocity vectors are not approximately but exactly parallel). Then $$\delta \boldsymbol{v}$$ is perpendicular to both $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$ and $$\boldsymbol{v}_2$$ and consequently points towards the circle center $$C$$.

But if the velocity change $$\delta \boldsymbol{v}$$ points to the center of the circle, according to Eq. 1 the acceleration vector $$\boldsymbol{a}$$ is also directed to the center of the circle. To indicate this, we rename $$\boldsymbol{a}$$ to $$\boldsymbol{a}_{\text z}$$. Index $$\text z$$ because of centripetal acceleration in German (zentripetal = "directed to the center of the circle"). So we know immediately in which direction the acceleration vector always points.

We still have to find out the magnitude $$a_{\text z}$$ of the acceleration vector $$\boldsymbol{a}_{\text z}$$. In the following we consider only the magnitudes. The direction of the acceleration vector is already known.

Now we have two right triangles (see illustration 3):

• A smaller triangle formed by $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$, $$\boldsymbol{v}_2$$ and $$\Delta \boldsymbol{v}$$.

• And a larger triangle formed by the straight lines along the radius $$r$$ and $$\Delta s$$.

During the movement from $$S_1$$ to $$S_2$$ the body has covered the angle $$\Delta \varphi$$. By a geometrical consideration it can be shown that the enclosed angle $$\delta \theta$$ beween $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$ and $$\boldsymbol{v}_2$$ is equal to the angle $$\delta \varphi$$ (see illustration 3).

The angle between $$\boldsymbol{v}_1$$ and the straight line $$C\,S_1$$ is (approximately) 90 degrees. This angle is composed of $$\Delta \theta$$ and $$\alpha$$:

Delta Theta plus Alpha equals 90 degrees
Formula anchor

The sum of angles in a triangle is 180 degrees. Then the angle $$\alpha$$ is given by:

Alpha is equal to 180 degrees minus 90 degrees - Delta Phi is equal to 90 degrees minus Delta Phi
Formula anchor

Substitute Eq. 5 into Eq. 4:

90 degrees equals Delta Theta plus 90 degrees minus Delta Phi
Formula anchor

Rearranging Eq. 6 yields:

Delta Theta equals Delta Phi
Formula anchor

With the angles we are done. We can now exploit the equality of the angles in Eq. 7! In the larger triangle, we can apply the trigonometric relationship for sine (opposite cathetus divided by hypotenuse). Here the opposite cathetus is $$\Delta s$$ and the hypotenuse is the radius $$r$$ of the circular path:

Sine of the angle is equal to distance divided by radius
Formula anchor

To the smaller triangle we also apply the trigonometric relation for sine. Here the opposite cathetus is $$\Delta v$$ and the hypotenuse is the magnitude $$v$$ of the orbital velocity:

Sine of angle equals change in velocity divided by speed
Formula anchor

Set Eq. 8 and Eq. 9 equal to eliminate the angle $$\Delta \varphi$$:

Change in distance divided by radius is equal to change in velocity divided by speed
Formula anchor

Divide both sides in Eq. 10 by $$\Delta t$$:

Velocity divided by radius is equal to acceleration divided by velocity
Formula anchor

This is how you bring the centripetal acceleration $$a_{\text z} = \Delta v / \Delta t$$ into play. And $$\Delta s / \Delta t$$ (distance per time) is the orbital velocity $$v$$:

Velocity divided by radius is equal to centripetal acceleration divided by velocity
Formula anchor

Rearrange Eq. 12 with respect to the centripetal acceleration:

Formula anchor

## Derivation of the centripetal force

To get the magnitude of the centripetal force $$F_{\text z}$$, we have to multiply the centripetal acceleration given by Eq. 13 with the mass $$m$$ of the body. The Second Law of Motion $$F = m \, a$$ tells us how force is related to acceleration:

Formula anchor

Since mass $$m$$ is just a number (not a vector), we can conclude from $$\boldsymbol{F} = m \, \boldsymbol{a}$$ that the centripetal force $$\boldsymbol{F}_{\text z}$$ like the centripetal acceleration $$\boldsymbol{a}_{\text z}$$ points to the center of the circle.

We can alternatively express the centripetal force 14 using the angular velocity $$\omega$$. For this purpose, we use the relationship between the orbital velocity $$v$$ and the angular velocity $$\omega$$, namely: $$v = \omega \, r$$. We square the speed: $$v^2 = \omega^2 \, r^2$$ and use it in Eq. 14:

Formula anchor

We can cancel the radius $$r$$ once:

Formula anchor

Since the angular velocity vector $$\boldsymbol{\omega}$$ is perpendicular to the circular path, it is also perpendicular to the centripetal force $$\boldsymbol{F}_{\text z}$$ (and of course to the centripetal acceleration).