Tangential component ($w_T=w-w_N$)

The tangential component is the orthogonal projection of a vector onto the tangent space. For a plane curve, it is $(w\cdot T)T$; for a hypersurface, it is $w-(w\cdot n)n$. The scalar tangential component of acceleration is $\dot{v}$, which can be positive, zero or negative as the speed increases, remains constant or decreases.