Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It is responsible for changing the direction of the object's velocity without altering its speed.
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Centripetal acceleration is given by $a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}$, where $v$ is the tangential velocity and $r$ is the radius of the circular path.
It always points towards the center of the circle, perpendicular to the tangential velocity.
The centripetal force causing this acceleration can be due to gravity, tension, friction, or other forces depending on the situation.
If either the speed of the object or the radius of its path changes, so does its centripetal acceleration.
$a_c$ can also be expressed in terms of angular velocity $\omega$ as $a_c = r\omega^2$.