explain the similarities and differences of centripetal and centrifugal force.
Answers
Answer:
Centrifugal takes place along the radius of the circle from the center out towards the object. For centripetal, it is the opposite, taking place also along the radius of the circle, but from the object in towards the center.
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Centripetal is an acceleration inward towards the center of the current radius of a curved path of motion, and centrifugal is usually used to describe the outward “force”…
Wait, let’s use an example…
Consider a rock on the end of a string being spun in a circle over your head at a constant speed. Even at a constant speed (rotations per second) the rock is actually constantly accelerating toward the center of the circle (your hand). This may be hard to accept at first, but remember that acceleration involves any change in Magnitude and/or Direction of the current velocity. The rock’s velocity direction is constantly changing and this direction of change is toward the center. We define this as Centripetal Acceleration.
Now here’s where common layman’s understanding of things confuses the issue. Some will say that the rock is experiencing Centrifugal Force, and that is why it tends to wants to fly away from the center of the circle, thus keeping the string taught.
While it’s fine to use the idea of Centrifugal Force in casual way to describe some things, it cheats us of a better understanding of what’s really going on.
Back to the rock… What forces are acting on it? There’s of course Gravity. Let’s forget about that for now, because it really isn’t germane to this discussion. Then there’s the string, which is taught, so we know the force is acting on the rock inward toward our hand. In fact, this inward force is what causes the Centripetal Acceleration according to F=ma. This inward force is what is causing the rock to constantly change it’s direction, keeping it on its circular path (rather than flying out in a tangential direction at its current speed).
Now some will say there is Centrifugal Force pushing the rock outward, but there isn’t. Think about it, what would be the cause of this force? As my High School Physics teacher would say, “Is there an invisible gremlin pushing the rock outward that we can’t see?” No. What’s perceived here as a force, is really just the rock’s tendency to continue in a straight-line path due to its inertia. And it would if the string were cut.
When we’re in a car going around a curve, you may perceive a force pushing you against the door, but it’s really the car pushing you inward toward the center of the curve redirecting your current velocity. Continuing with the car example, if you’re at a stop light and you floor it when the light turns green, what happens? Are you being pushed back in your seat by some invisible force? Or is it the seat pushing you forward causing you to accelerate forward? Most of us would understand that it’s the latter. It’s the same in the curve; we’re experiencing Centripetal Acceleration inward due to a change in direction, while at the stop light we’re experiencing forward acceleration due to a change in magnitude.
So Centrifugal Force is really a “virtual” of “false” force because it really has no effector (no gremlin). We’d actually say it is perceived as a force due to being in a “non-Newtonian reference frame.” (When you’re in the car going around a curve, you perceive it as an outward force, but you’re in an accelerating reference frame, so your perception is incorrect.) To be fair, in many (if not most) situations, this difference can be a rather pedantic one, and not worth correction.