Two physics students are sitting on a spinning merry-go-round. One 1 pc student measures the time it takes the merry go round to make a full rotation, and shows that the time to make a rotation is remaining constant. He remarks that his acceleration is zero because his speed is remaining constant. Is the student correct or incorrect, and why? * The student is incorrect because an object with circular motion has a velocity that is constantly changing direction. The student is incorrect because the merry-go-round needs to start and stop every time it goes around the circle, therefore he is accelerating. The student is correct because acceleration must only occur in a straight line. The student is correct because the final speed minus the initial speed divided by the time is the correct relationship for this situation.

Two physics students are sitting on a spinning merry-go-round. One 1 pc student measures the time it takes the merry go round to make a full rotation, and shows that the time to make a rotation is remaining constant. He remarks that his acceleration is zero because his speed is remaining constant. Is the student correct or incorrect, and why? * The student is incorrect because an object with circular motion has a velocity that is constantly changing direction. The student is incorrect because the merry-go-round needs to start and stop every time it goes around the circle, therefore he is accelerating. The student is correct because acceleration must only occur in a straight line. The student is correct because the final speed minus the initial speed divided by the time is the correct relationship for this situation.