Science Common Sense

1659 - Why does the direction of the velocity of a particle in uniform circular motion change despite the speed remaining constant?

In uniform circular motion, the speed of the particle remains the same, but the direction keeps changing. This is because the force (called centripetal force) that keeps the particle moving in a circle is always acting towards the center of the circle.

Imagine you're holding a ball on a string and spinning it around your head. The force of the string is pulling the ball towards your hand (the center of the circle). As the ball moves in a circle, the direction of this force also changes, pointing towards the center. This changing force makes the ball continuously change direction, even though its speed remains the same.

So, the direction of the velocity of the particle changes because the force acting on it keeps changing direction, but the speed remains constant.