๐ŸŽกap physics 1 review

Tangential Acceleration

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Definition

Tangential acceleration refers to the rate at which an object's tangential velocity changes. It measures how quickly an object is speeding up or slowing down along its circular path.