Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Forces. What’s the Difference?
You probably won’t be surprised, but sometimes stuff moves in circles. Yes, even a car taking a turn is an example of circular motion — -even if it doesn’t make a compete circle. OK, but how do we talk about the physics of circular motion? Should you use “centripetal” or “centrifugal”? I’m going to explain it all to you. Note: there will be some maths — -but not gratuitous level maths. Just hang.
Nature of Force and Motion
We have to start from the beginning. In this case, that’s Newton’s 2nd Law (also called the Momentum Principle). This says that the total force on an object CHANGES that object’s motion. As an equation, it would look like this.
If there is a constant force on an object, it will have a constant acceleration. Since the acceleration describes how the velocity changes, a constant acceleration for an object means that it will continue to speed up, slow down, or change direction. Check it out. Here is a cart with a single constant force.
OK, that’s the basics.
Centripetal Force
