Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

Centripetal Force

• Centripetal acceleration is directed towards the center of the circle.
• Centripetal force is the force directed toward a fixed center that causes an object to follow a circular path.
• Examples: tension in a string, gravity, electrical forces.
• F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}, where:
  • F_c is the centripetal force.
  • m is the mass.
  • v is the speed.
  • r is the radius of the circular path.

Centrifugal Force

• Centrifugal force is the apparent outward force on a rotating body.
• It is a fictitious force that arises from inertia in a rotating reference frame.
• From a stationary frame, there is no centrifugal force, only centripetal force causing circular motion.
• In a rotating frame of reference, centrifugal force appears real.
• Not a true force because it is not part of an interaction.

Centrifuge

• Centrifugal force plays a role in the operation of a centrifuge to separate particles in a liquid