Assuming that the magnitude of velocity is constant. Why does centripetal acceleration have a magnitude? Since acceleration is the rate of change for velocity and its magnitude remains the same shouldn't we express centripetal acceleration by the angle it changed in the vertical or horizontal over a period of time instead? Also I know the formula for centripetal acceleration but I'm not sure what it actually is. I don't understand the physical meaning behind that formula. Please no calculus explanation because I'm in AP physics 1 and I haven't learned calculus yet.

Thanks in advance.

Assuming that the magnitude of velocity is constant. Why does centripetal acceleration have a magnitude? Since acceleration is the rate of change for velocity and its magnitude remains the same shouldn't we express centripetal acceleration by the angle it changed in the vertical or horizontal over a period of time instead? Also I know the formula for centripetal acceleration but I'm not sure what it actually is. I don't understand the physical meaning behind that formula. Please no calculus explanation because I'm in AP physics 1 and I haven't learned calculus yet.