Tangential and normal components
When something is moving, it's not just moving in one direction - it's also moving in other directions too! Imagine you're standing on a merry-go-round that's spinning really fast. You'll feel like you're being pushed to the side, right? That's because you're moving not just forward and backward, but also sideways.
The same thing is happening when anything is moving - even if it's just rolling in a straight line. That's where tangential and normal components come in!
The tangential component is the part of the movement that's going in the same direction as the object is moving. So if the object is rolling to the right, then the tangential component will also be to the right.
The normal component is the part of the movement that's going perpendicular, or at a right angle, to the direction the object is moving. So if the object is rolling to the right, then the normal component will be going up and down.
When you add the tangential and normal components together, you get the full movement of the object - in this case, rolling to the right and also bobbing up and down. So even though you might not feel it or see it, every moving object has both tangential and normal components to its motion!
The same thing is happening when anything is moving - even if it's just rolling in a straight line. That's where tangential and normal components come in!
The tangential component is the part of the movement that's going in the same direction as the object is moving. So if the object is rolling to the right, then the tangential component will also be to the right.
The normal component is the part of the movement that's going perpendicular, or at a right angle, to the direction the object is moving. So if the object is rolling to the right, then the normal component will be going up and down.
When you add the tangential and normal components together, you get the full movement of the object - in this case, rolling to the right and also bobbing up and down. So even though you might not feel it or see it, every moving object has both tangential and normal components to its motion!