An object moving in a circular path at constant speed has constant

Options

A. Energy
B. Velocity
C. Acceleration
D. Displacement

Answer

To solve the question, we need to analyze the motion of an object moving in a circular path at a constant speed.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Circular Motion**:
- An object moving in a circular path is undergoing circular motion. In this case, it is specified that the object is moving at a constant speed.

2. **Constant Speed vs. Constant Velocity**:
- While the speed (magnitude of velocity) is constant, the direction of the velocity vector is continuously changing as the object moves along the circular path.
- Since velocity is a vector quantity (it has both magnitude and direction), a change in direction means that the velocity is not constant.

3. **Acceleration in Circular Motion**:
- In circular motion, even though the speed is constant, there is an acceleration acting on the object. This acceleration is called centripetal acceleration, which is directed towards the center of the circular path.
- Since the direction of the velocity is changing, this indicates that there is a change in velocity, hence there is an acceleration.

4. **Kinetic Energy**:
- The kinetic energy (KE) of the object can be expressed as:
\[ KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \]
- Here, \(m\) is the mass of the object and \(v\) is the speed. Since both the mass and speed are constant, the kinetic energy remains constant throughout the motion.

5. **Conclusion**:
- From the analysis, we conclude that while the speed is constant, the velocity and acceleration are not constant due to the continuous change in direction. The only quantity that remains constant in this scenario is the kinetic energy.

Thus, the correct answer to the question is that an object moving in a circular path at constant speed has constant **kinetic energy**.