Centripetal force is the force that keeps an object moving in a circular path. It is always directed towards the center of the circle and is necessary to maintain the object's circular motion.
The formula for centripetal force is Fc = mv²/r, where Fc is the centripetal force, m is the mass of the object, v is the velocity, and r is the radius of the circular path.
Centripetal force and centripetal acceleration are directly proportional. This means that as the centripetal force increases, so does the centripetal acceleration, and vice versa.
Some common examples of centripetal force include the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, the motion of a car around a curve, and the spinning of a ball on a string.
Centripetal force does not change an object's velocity, but it does change the direction of the velocity. This means that the object's speed remains constant, but its direction of motion continuously changes as it moves in a circular path.