Q: If the force exerted on an object is steady, does that mean that the acceleration is constant?
A: This is a little tricky question. Depending on the type of motion, “steady” could mean constant both in magnitude and in direction or constant only in magnitude.
For 1-D motion, steady force means constant both in magnitude and in direction, so the acceleration is constant both in magnitude and in direction.
For 2-D motion, for example, a circular motion, steady force (like tension force serving as Centripetal force) usually means constant only in magnitude, so the acceleration (centripetal acceleration in Radial direction) is constant only in magnitude. The Radial direction actually changes as the object moves (always pointing to the center of the circle is not a fixed direction).
