Centripetal force Definition and 562 Threads

A centripetal force (from Latin centrum, "center" and petere, "to seek") is a force that makes a body follow a curved path. Its direction is always orthogonal to the motion of the body and towards the fixed point of the instantaneous center of curvature of the path. Isaac Newton described it as "a force by which bodies are drawn or impelled, or in any way tend, towards a point as to a centre". In Newtonian mechanics, gravity provides the centripetal force causing astronomical orbits.
One common example involving centripetal force is the case in which a body moves with uniform speed along a circular path. The centripetal force is directed at right angles to the motion and also along the radius towards the centre of the circular path. The mathematical description was derived in 1659 by the Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens.

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  1. E

    Can gasses be contained with centripetal force?

    Not sure if this is the right place to post or even a stupid question but anyway. If you had a chamber of gas and released it out of a barrel with force it would disapate into the air right? My question is, if you were to do this but somehow spin the gas particles so that they held themselves...
  2. J

    Centripetal Force & Gas Centrifuges

    Hi, I am studying circular motion at the moment and we were asked to go away and find an example of a device which has a very large centripetal acceleration. Initially I found a washing machine has up to about 300g but then I was looking at nuclear enrichment gas centrifuges which have huge...
  3. Physics345

    Does the label "centripetal force" ever appear in a FBD

    Homework Statement Does the label "centripetal force" ever appear in an FBD? Explain. Homework Equations None. The Attempt at a Solution No, centripetal force does not appear as a label on a FBD. Since it is not specific enough it does not tell us what the force is that’s keeping the object...
  4. P

    Effects of centripetal force on longer objects

    I have a question. What will happen if you have a long object let’s say a person was lassoed by their feet and spun around by a super strong machine or person. Since the persons head of who is being spun is moving at a much faster tangential velocity then let’s say their feet. If the rope is cut...
  5. L

    Need help explaining this Centripetal force problem

    Homework Statement Homework Equations T = mv^2/r Fc = mv^2/r The Attempt at a Solution I'm aware that at the bottom of this motion, that the tension force is greater than the weight. And that the tension force at the top is weaker so we added T + mg = mv^2/R. for th bottom, it's T-mg =...
  6. ferrariistheking

    Centripetal Force and circular motion

    Homework Statement Gravity causes a centripetal force that allows satellites to travel around planets. How fast must a 102-kg satellite travel to maintain a circular orbit 352 km above Earth's surface? Homework Equations F=m(v^2/r) -----> (F/m) x r= v^2, then square root F= force m=mass...
  7. M

    Shape of water in a rotating container along A vertical axis

    Hi! I am currently working on a project that includes rotating a water-filled container. The container is NOT spinning about its vertical axis, but about the vertical axis of the rotating disc. I am aware that the surface shape of water in a rotating bucket takes the shape of a parabola when it...
  8. Biochemgirl2002

    How do I draw a FBD for centripetal force

    The question Sometimes road surfaces have banked curves, use a FBD to explain how it helps cars make turns more safely My trial: I drew this FBD (attached below) And I think it helps make driving more safe because the Fn acting on the car is pointed more towards the middle of the curve...
  9. M

    Centripetal force throughout a vertical circle

    Homework Statement In what position in vertical circular motion is the centripetal force the greatest? Top, Bottom, Left, or Right Homework Equations Can someone explain how Fc is greatest at the top? The Attempt at a Solution I had reasoned that since centripetal acceleration which I will...
  10. P

    Question regarding centripetal force

    Hi just have a basic question. Just went to the local fair yesterday and road the Gravitron ride. The ride that sucks you to the walls. I became curious on the physics that cause you to get stuck to the wall so I have been researching centripetal force. Now it seems that the seats are...
  11. L

    Centripetal Force / circular motion question

    Homework Statement I'm not asking for a full on solution to my question, but instead wanted to know what was the difference in these two questions. So, here are the two questions 1) A space station of radius 90 m is rotating to simulate a gravitational field. What is the period of the space...
  12. R

    Tangential and centripetal force

    Homework Statement The canister of a juicer has 333 grams of pulp distributed over its inside wall at an average radius of 8.00cm. It starts from rest and reaches its maximum angular speed of 3600.0 rpm in 4.00 seconds. For the pulp, determine ( f ) the tangential and centripetal force on it...
  13. Richer Su

    Centripetal Force Homework: Effect of Increasing Mass on Revolutions

    Homework Statement Refer to this pic https://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/rallain/plab193/page1/page37/page37.htmlor I was wondering how increasing the mass at the bottom would influence the time taken for the object to complete 10 revolutions, my hypothesis was that it would...
  14. S

    Radius and centripetal relation

    Homework Statement the file given Homework Equations F=mv^2/r The Attempt at a Solution I do not understand why the centripetal force is 2a and not 2/a since the radius of X is twice longer. When I use the equation above, raidius is inversely proportional to the acceleration. Is radius...
  15. S

    I How fast do you need to cycle to simulate bicycle tire inflation

    My question comes from a moment when I was riding my bike. I had a flat tire. My question then was how fast do i need to cycle so that i don't ride on my rim's anymore. I tride calculating this with the force that i put on the tire (15kg+70kg= mass of the bike and I)*g= 833,85 N that devided by...
  16. H

    Varying mass- finding centripetal force

    Homework Statement I have another problem with a similar thread title but they are not the same, I'd love help with either or both. Ran trials with varying mass, but radius and centripetal force as constants. Must find experimental radius from the best fit slope. I have already finished the...
  17. H

    Finding experimental Centripetal force from F=4pi^2rM/T^2

    Homework Statement I have a second problem I need assistance with but I'll put it in its own thread. Used centripetal apparatus to run trials with varying radii but constant mass and calibration weight (mg). I have already plotted T^2 vs r^2 and got a slope of 16.5 from the best fit. I now...
  18. A

    B What is the Net Force on a Banked Curve?

    I understand why when deriving the formulas for cars on banked curves, the net force in the Y direction is zero. However, when I google how to derive them, people say that there is a net force greater than zero in the X direction. This is not what my professor says in his explanations however...
  19. F

    Net Force and Centripetal Force relation

    Hello Everyone, Question about the centripetal force: the centripetal force is the name given to the component of the net force acting on the object in a direction perpendicular to the object's trajectory and directed towards the center of the osculating circle. This net force component causes...
  20. S

    Calculating Train Speed Using Centripetal Force | 15° Angle, 150m Radius

    Homework Statement There is a subway derailed. Radius of an unbanked curve is 150 m. An unused strap hangs at a 15 degrees angle to the vertical just before the accident. Did the train exceed 35 km/h and what speed was it at just before the accident. Homework Equations F=ma=m(v^2/r)The Attempt...
  21. S

    Is the centripetal force a projection of tension?

    Well, this might be the stupidest question ever, but whatever. I was just thinking about a problem where a pendulum is attached to something that spins around itself (image below) and thought that maybe Centripetal Force might be a projection of tension on a vector that is perpendicular to ω...
  22. K

    I Determine the force exerted by the seat on the child at the bottom of the ride

    A child of mass m rides on a Ferris wheel as shown in figure (a). The child moves in a vertical circle of radius 14.5 m at a constant speed of 2.85 m/s. Determine the force exerted by the seat on the child at the bottom of the ride. Express your answer in terms of the weight of the child mg...
  23. Nikhil Rajagopalan

    Is the Work Done by Static Friction Always Zero in a Round Trip?

    Friction is said to be a non conservative force. And I see various sources state that work done by a non conservative force on a round trip is always non zero. But is that always true? In a case where a coin is placed on a turn table, and the table is rotated, and the coin does not move during...
  24. N

    How can gravity be greater than the centripetal force?

    So I saw this in my physics textbook and according to the highlighted sentence, it is possible for the weight to be greater than the centripetal force when the car is at the top of the circle. But how is this possible when the weight itself is PART of the centripetal force when the car is at the...
  25. C

    Doubt with rotating body and force

    Hello. Let's image a bar. In one side is attached to a body so the bar can rotate over this axis. There is no friction between the two bodies. The system is at rest in t=0. A force acts forming a 90° angle with the bar. The bar moves and begin to rotates. The force dissapear. There is no force...
  26. O

    Reaction force be 0 at top of circular path swing?

    Homework Statement Hi, I have a question about a bucket filled with water being swung in a vertical circular path. I'm wondering why at the top of this swing, the reaction force of the bucket on the water can be 0? (ie. why is the minimum centripetal force required only the weight of the...
  27. Bunny-chan

    Understanding a book example about centripetal force

    Homework Statement If the centripetal force is at the left side of the equation; that means if we move it over to the other side, it'll have a negative sign, which means it is opposite in sense in relation to N and mg. But how is that possible, considering that the centripetal force always...
  28. D

    Magnitude of force of a disk on a circular track

    Homework Statement A small disc, radius r and mass m = 7.9 g, rolls on its edge. The friction with the track is enough to prevent slipping. When released, it rolls down the track (sketch) and reaches a circular section with radius R = 5.1 cm, which is very much greater than r. The initial...
  29. Ashton Herbert

    A question regarding the Centripetal force

    Hi, if you consider a ball, with mass m, rolling down the outer surface of a hemisphere with radius r, why is it that if you consider the forces acting upon the ball and resolve in a direction, the equation formed is: mgcos(x) - R = m(v^2)/r If you rearrange that, it would appear that the...
  30. J

    Rocket Engine: Centripetal Force to Vector thrust

    Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I have a question that has stumped several of the professors at my school. My idea is to use an electric motor with a solid rocket engine on a thrust stand to spin the exit cone. The concept would make use of centripetal force to increase the pressure of...
  31. J

    Centripetal Force Problem with Tension on an Unknown Planet

    Homework Statement An experiment is conducted on a "strange" planet to determine the acceleration due to the force of gravity there. A 2 meter length pendulum is suspended and put into horizontal circular path. Data collected: the pendulum makes 10 revolutions in 25 seconds while sweeping out a...
  32. D

    B The movie wanted defies physic.

    In the movie wanted, the characters inside the movie can curve bullets by swinging the pistol, it is obvious it defies the law of physics. I know that a bullet cannot curve due to the law of motion, it is the same a sling (the thing that throw rocks) where the trajectory will always be a...
  33. C

    Why Does a Smaller Radius Increase Centripetal Force?

    Homework Statement My textbook states that, "Traveling in a circular path with a smaller radius of curvature requires a greater centripetal force". But my question is, why, and how is that true? I would have assumed at first that if the radius was getting shorter, then the centripetal force...
  34. Unteroffizier

    Centripetal Force - same thing as gravitational force?

    First off, I'd like to note that I am by no means a physics expert. I am merely a high school student and a physics/maths enthusiast, nothing more, so if my thoughts are completely dysfunctional and downright incorrect, which is more than a distinct possibility, please tell me. I recently took...
  35. T

    Force of Gravitation and Centripetal Force

    Homework Statement (a) The Earth may be considered to be a uniform sphere of radius 6.37 × 103 km with its mass of 5.98 × 1024 kg concentrated at its centre. The Earth spins on its axis with a period of 24.0 hours. (i) A stone of mass 2.50 kg rests on the Earth’s surface at the Equator. 1...
  36. Revengeance

    Centripetal force ball on a string lab

    Homework Statement So referring to this lab , http://static3.mbtfiles.co.uk/media/docs/newdocs/international_baccalaureate/physics/824297/html/images/image12.pngIn this lab you are holding the plastic tube and twirling it to make the small mass spin in a circle. Keep in mind there is a mass on...
  37. Mausam

    Understanding the Paradox of Centripetal Force in a Frictionless System

    If we have a frictionless hollow tube and a ball which just fits into it. All the surfaces are frictionless. Now if we put in the ball about at the center of tube and rotate the tube about one of its ends with a constant angular velocity ,then the ball swoops out of the other end . If we see...
  38. S

    Is centripetal force greater than centrifugal force?

    Why is resultant force directed towards the center of the circular path? Is it because centripetal force is greater than centrifugal force? If the centrifugal force is greater, then the ball will rise? (If the string doesn't snap)
  39. Rick16

    Confusion about centripetal force

    I have run into some serious confusion with a seemingly very simple problem: A car is going around a circular track, the road is banked, and there is no friction. For this case all texts state that the centripetal force is caused by the normal force, i. e. by the radial component of the normal...
  40. Robzoid

    Movement caused by Centripetal Force

    I've been thinking about centripetal force and circular motion. I know that an object experiencing circular motion has a velocity vector tangential to the circular path and an acceleration vector perpendicular to its motion, pointing towards the center of the circle. What I don't get is why...
  41. S

    Need help with a centripetal force question.

    Homework Statement Homework Equations f = mg N = mw^2R The Attempt at a Solution Is this method and answer correct? The answer in my solution sheet is different so I'm wondering where i went wrong
  42. K

    Reaction Force, Centripetal Force

    Does reaction force only occur when it is in contact with another object? And also if rollercoaster goes around in a circle, at the maxium height, why isn't there any reaction force (got this from a book). Personally, I think that rollercoaser have clamps attached between the path and the...
  43. A

    Centripetal Force, Friction, Loop de Loop, and Normal Forces

    Two questions I had: 1. How is the force of friction of the tires pointed inwards to cause centripetal acceleration? If the tire is rotated when trying to turn, the car is still traveling with a velocity perpendicular to the circle and force of friction would still be counteracting the...
  44. S

    Need help with a centripetal force question

    Homework Statement [/B] Homework Equations [/B] mv^2 / r = F The Attempt at a Solution This is my attempt and reasoning for this problem, is this the correct way to approach the problem or am i missing something?the hanging mass is motionless the tension in string equals the force of...
  45. T

    Centripetal Force and Pascal's Principle

    I am trying to reconcile what I understand about Pascals Law in Fluid Statics and Centripetal Force in Fluid Dynamics In fluid statics pressure always acts normal to the wall . The explanation I have seen https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/fluid-mechanics-and-perpendicular-force.733437/ Is...
  46. A

    Angular momentum and centripetal force

    Suppose you have a ball on a string, and you make the ball to move around in a circle. The force on the ball is caused by the tension of the string, and is called the centripetal force F = mv^2/r. If you were to let go at any moment, the ball would stop rotating and move with linear velocity...
  47. M

    Definition of centripetal force

    Homework Statement Hi, If an object is undergoing uniform circular motion, then the net force is acting perpendicular to the instantaneous velocity, and this is called the centripetal force. However, if the object is moving in a circle but the magnitude of its instantaneous velocity is not...
  48. V

    Circular Motion: What's the Source of Centripetal force in this?

    [Moderator's Note: Thread moved from forum General Physics hence no formatting template] I am trying to study Circular Motion for my exams and I'm kind of unsure about one question. The question asks what's keeping the truck in circular motion. It has to be gravity I know, but gravity being...
  49. Rupert Young

    What is the effect of centripetal force on velocity?

    If a car is being driven with a constant force (the angle of the pedal is kept constant) and it goes around a curve, will the velocity change? If so, is this due to centripetal force?
  50. T

    Tangential Velocity w/r to change in Centripetal force

    Hi I have a scenario with which I wish to understand . I have a ball on a string which is in uniform circular rotation at Tangential velocity v Assume friction is not present I now increase the centripetal force by pulling on the string from the centre, what has happened to the tangential...
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