- #1
- 7,780
- 475
I came across this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_centrifugal_force"
I think this is Wikipedia nonsense. There is only one centrifugal "force" and it is the inertial effect or "pseudo force" or "fictitious force" observed in a non-inertial frame of reference.
The authors of these articles seem to be forgetting that in the interaction between two bodies, A and B in which A applies a force to B the reactive force (Newton's Third Law) acts on A not on B. So in the case of the moon in gravitational orbit around the earth, the reaction to the centripetal force of the Earth on the moon is the gravitational force of the moon on the earth, which is TOWARD the centre of mass of the moon-earth system. In simple terms, the reaction force to a centripetal force is itself a centripetal force. It is not directed away from the centre. So calling it a centrifugal reaction force is simply wrong.
Am I missing something?
AM
I think this is Wikipedia nonsense. There is only one centrifugal "force" and it is the inertial effect or "pseudo force" or "fictitious force" observed in a non-inertial frame of reference.
The authors of these articles seem to be forgetting that in the interaction between two bodies, A and B in which A applies a force to B the reactive force (Newton's Third Law) acts on A not on B. So in the case of the moon in gravitational orbit around the earth, the reaction to the centripetal force of the Earth on the moon is the gravitational force of the moon on the earth, which is TOWARD the centre of mass of the moon-earth system. In simple terms, the reaction force to a centripetal force is itself a centripetal force. It is not directed away from the centre. So calling it a centrifugal reaction force is simply wrong.
Am I missing something?
AM
Last edited by a moderator: