More On Uniform Circular Motion Newton's 1st Law of motion states that an object moving at constant speed will continue in that motion unless acted on by an outside force. A 'center seeking' force is required to cause an object to move in a circle. Centripetal means 'center seeking'.
Centripetal forces cause centripetal accelerations.
Centripetal means center-seeking. Centripetal forces are always directed toward the center of the circular path. Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity of an object. Velocity is determined by dividing the distance travelled by the time interval it took to cover that distance. In the special case of circular motion, the distance covered is the circumference of a circle or 2'pi'r.