Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path. It is directed toward the center of the circle and is responsible for keeping the object in that circular motion. The formula for centripetal acceleration is a_c = \fracv^2r , where v is the object's speed and r is the radius of the circle. This type of acceleration occurs in various scenarios, such as a car turning around a curve or a planet orbiting a star. Without centripetal acceleration, these objects would move in a straight line instead of following a curved path.