Yes, a body moving with constant speed can have acceleration. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but it’s important to understand the difference between speed and velocity.
Speed is a scalar quantity, which means it only has magnitude. Velocity, on the other hand, is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. Therefore, even if the speed (magnitude of velocity) remains constant, the direction of the velocity can change, resulting in acceleration.
A common example of this is circular motion. When an object moves in a circle at a constant speed, its direction is continuously changing. This change in direction means that the velocity is changing, and thus the object is accelerating. This type of acceleration is called centripetal acceleration and is directed towards the center of the circular path.
In summary, a body moving with constant speed can indeed have acceleration if its direction of motion is changing.