What is Centrifugal force: Definition and 203 Discussions

In Newtonian mechanics, the centrifugal force is an inertial force (also called a "fictitious" or "pseudo" force) that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference. It is directed away from an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation and passing through the coordinate system's origin. If the axis of rotation passes through the coordinate system's origin, the centrifugal force is directed radially outwards from that axis. The magnitude of centrifugal force F on an object of mass m at the distance r from the origin of a frame of reference rotating with angular velocity ω is:

The concept of centrifugal force can be applied in rotating devices, such as centrifuges, centrifugal pumps, centrifugal governors, and centrifugal clutches, and in centrifugal railways, planetary orbits and banked curves, when they are analyzed in a rotating coordinate system.
Confusingly, the term has sometimes also been used for the reactive centrifugal force, a real inertial-frame-independent Newtonian force that exists as a reaction to a centripetal force.

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  1. G

    How to calculate compression of a spring

    centrifugal force apply force to spring while it spinning, how to calculate it's compression. there is no any attached mass on spring. just centrifugal force depends on RPM. weight of spring is important, centrifugal force is changing by radius, so it's not uniform.
  2. C

    Centrifugal force and elastic deformation

    Homework Statement Consider a spring of natural length L_0 with constant k which rests on a horizontal frictionless surface. The spring is attached at one end to a fixed post and at the other end to a mass m. Suppose the spring is rotating around the post in a circle with angular velocity w...
  3. P

    Tension, centrifugal force, two objects rotating

    Homework Statement [/B]there's an image of the situationHomework Equations [/B]F= mω^2 RThe Attempt at a Solution [/B]so, in the image there are two spheres that exerts a tension on the string using their centrifugal, since the centrifugal bodies are two I expect that the tension is the sum...
  4. O

    Blowing up a balloon using centrifugal force

    Hey guys, So I had what I thought was a cool simple idea to show the effects of the apparent centrifical force. I glued the mouth of a balloon onto the end of a 1.5m length of a 10mm flexible tube. The idea in my head was that by spinning it around the inertial forces would result in effective...
  5. ajayguhan

    Is sum centrifugal force and centripetal force zero?

    While balancing rotating mass we consider the inertia force (centrifugal force) is equal and opposite to centripetal force which causes the rotation. if both force(applied external force on rotating mass) which causes the motion and force which resist motion (inertia force) are equal and...
  6. AHashemi

    Direction of (Inertial) centrifugal force here?

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  7. P

    Radial Suction Fan Design & Equations

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  8. R

    Wanting clarification on Centrifugal force

    I was wondering if someone could help dissect my understanding of Centrifugal force and explain any errors in my logic. So imagining that I am driving a car and making a right turn. I make the right turn and am forced into the side of the door. I feel a force acting on me but after I make my...
  9. K

    Where Will the Candlelight Go?: Investigating Centrifugal Force

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  10. J

    Does centrifugal force affect weight at different latitudes on Earth?

    As a result of various searches on the Net, I have ended up here on this fantastic site. Specifically, it was an old 2008 thread in which was closed, so in order for me to expand on such discussion I've decided to make my own thread; by which I will go a slightly different direction with...
  11. W

    Understanding centrifugal force

    Dear Experts, I believe that we use the concept of Pseudo Forces, to analyze mechanics within an accelerating frame of reference. Pseudo force seems to be a 'correction' in acceleration provided to all the points that are not riveted to the accelerating frame of reference. And centrifugal force...
  12. D

    Centrifugal Force: Balancing a swing bucket rotor

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  13. petermoose

    A Acceleration of Universe: centrifugal force?

    Is it 'possible' (that is, if you say not, can you conclusively show the negative), that the entire observed acceleration in the expansion Our Universe, created some 13.7 x 10^9 years ago in the Big Bang, is due solely to centripetal force throughout, caused by a complex...
  14. cyberdiver

    Using centrifugal force to support pressure vessels

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  15. PeterDonis

    Insights Centrifugal Force Reversal Near A Black Hole - Comments

    PeterDonis submitted a new PF Insights post Centrifugal Force Reversal Near A Black Hole Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  16. UMath1

    Centripetal Force Washing Machine

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  17. Dopplershift

    Why do people use a centrifugal force

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  18. avito009

    Exploring Centrifugal Force in Pottery: A Closer Look at the Potter's Wheel

    As the potter shapes the mud vessel on his wheel, the wheel applies centrifugal force on the clay.So against this centrifugal force the potter shapes the vessel. Could this be an example of centrifugal force?
  19. H

    Centrifugal Force load caused from propeller rotation

    Is anyone interested in telling me the force created from 2 propeller blades rotating 2000 rpm.The total diameter of the prop is 72 inches and the weight of 1 blade is 4 lbs. Reason for the question is I want to mill a clark-y profile the length of the blade less ,4 inches for a bolted...
  20. JosephLa

    How is centrifugal force created in a cloud of gas in space?

    First, may I apologize in advance if this question is in the wrong section of the forums. Given a cloud of mixed gasses and rocky material, how is spin created when a star is born? I will also give the cloud of gas a random order of movement prior to star formation. Can the physics for the...
  21. S_Aghzafen

    Gravity's change rate and the Centrifugal force

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  22. S

    Centrifugal force acting on fine particles

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  23. ZelfZA

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  24. L

    Centrifugal Force: Earth Rotation & Its Effects

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  25. itchybrain

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  26. F

    Confusion of centrifugal force

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  27. Amaterasu21

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  28. N

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  29. M

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  30. M

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  31. J

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  32. Greg Bernhardt

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    Definition/Summary A non-inertial observer measures the same "real" (physical) forces as an inertial observer does, but if he wants to apply the inertial laws of motion, he must add "fictitious" (non-physical) forces. One of these "fictitious" forces is a position-dependent centrifugal...
  33. FlyingKiwi

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  34. B

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    Homework Statement This is not homework. Suppose I am rotating a ball on a string (m=1, r = .2, v = 10 m/s) Homework Equations Fc = (m) v2/r = 500 N*m If I reduce the length of the string to .1, v becomes 20, so Fc = 4000 N*m what is the work I have done, what kind of integration do...
  35. S

    Centrifugal force? Why does the Earth bulge at the equator?

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  36. A

    Which Coin Flies Off First from a Speeding Turntable?

    Two coins are on a turntable that steadily speeds up, starting from rest, with a ccw rotation. Which coin flies off the turntable first? Coin 2 is further away than coin 1. MY ATTEMPT: I believe centrifugal acceleration is done by friction. So fs=us*m*g. Fc=mv^2/r. Then...
  37. J

    Centrifugal Force - continue spinning indefinately in space?

    Centrifugal Force -- continue spinning indefinately in space? I believe it is correct that if you spin up an object in space, like a space ship, it will continue spinning indefinately unless/until another force is applied to stop it from spinning. Then centrifugal force would push the objects...
  38. adjacent

    Exploring the Mathematical Application of Centrifugal Force

    We all know that the Centrifugal force is not a real force.However,we can use it mathematically. This Wikipedia Article on Centrifugal force States that: But, According to Newton's first law,objects tend to move in a straight line or stay at rest at a constant velocity unless no external...
  39. L

    Centrifugal force and angular velocity

    According to the wikipedia page, when given an angular velocity, centrifugal force increases with radius. I always thought the larger the radius, the smaller the centrifugal force. I think I'm misunderstanding some term here (possibly "angular velocity"). Can someone please explain?
  40. A

    Simulated Gravity through centrifugal force concept questions

    Maybe I need to take a little break from my studies but I'm not getting this at all. At the risk of looking really dumb, here's what I need help with; Imagine that you are living in a rotating space habitat. The habitat has a diameter and a rotational speed such that at the outer edge you...
  41. E

    Centrifugal Force, Centripetal Force, and Space

    I've got a weekly physics assignment, and I've been racking my brain on it. Any input on the accuracy of my response, what I could do to improve it, and where I may have gone wrong? Homework Statement Some years ago, a newspaper story contained the following statement" "The space shuttle...
  42. C

    Is Centrifugal Force Responsible for Falling Out of a Car on a Sharp Turn?

    Hello! I have some doubts regarding centrifugal force.. Imagine yourself in a car which is taking a sharp turn. You tend to fall to the other side ( if the car door is open you'd fall out of the car) Is this because of inertia which opposes the sudden change in motion or is it because of...
  43. C

    Centrifugal Force on a stone tied to a thread

    I am not sure I get the concept of centrifugal force.. If we have a stone tied to a thread and we just spin it in a circle, and while we are spinning it in a circle, the thread breaks and the stone flies off tangentially. If we watch this motion from an inertial frame, which force will be...
  44. Alpharup

    Argument on centrifugal force

    My grade 11 textbook never mentioned about inertial frame, non- inertial frame, rotating frame of reference and so son.The derivation of centripetal acceleration was very intuitive.This derivation was given after Laws of Inertia and other Newton's laws of motion.Ideas like cross product and dot...
  45. D

    Centrifugal force as dot products

    The centrifugal force is $$ \Omega\times r\times \Omega $$ I paper I am reading then writes it as ##\frac{1}{2}(r\Omega)^2 - \frac{1}{2}\Omega^2r^2## How was this obtained? Using the fact that ##a\times b\times c = (ac)b - (ab)c##, I don't get what they are getting so there is...
  46. J

    Center of Gravity and Centrifugal Force

    Hi, I have this problem that I'm trying to solve and it has been a few years since I've taken Physics. I want to know how you would approach and solve this problem, and what equations you would use. Hopefully somebody here can help me out. The Problem: A vehicle is on a road that is V inches...
  47. G

    Normal and centrifugal force for arbitrary curves

    Hi, i have a curve g:[0,t]->IR² with g(t)=(x(t),y(t)) in a homogenous gravitational field and i want to look at a ball rolling down this curve. therefore i want to derive some equations in order to calculate the normal force and the centripetal force at each point of this curve in order to see...
  48. H

    Does centrifugal force caused the tides?

    First time poster, thanks for help I wonder if low tide is caused by centrifugal force at noon time and high tide at midnight? The centrifugal force pushes sea water toward the center of the Earth at day time, away from it at night time. So, a man weights more at day time than night time. Am...
  49. A.T.

    What exactly is the reactive centrifugal force (split)

    Mod note: This thread on the reactive centrifugal force was split from this thread on the (fictitious) centrifugal force. It is really not that confusing if you make clear which reference frame you consider.
  50. H

    What exactly is centrifugal force

    I think that there is no such thing as centrifugal force . Am I right ? is this force fictitious ?
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