Bead on the uniformly rotating wire

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The discussion centers on the dynamics of a bead sliding on a uniformly rotating, frictionless wire in free space, as described in Goldstein's classical mechanics book. The bead experiences outward motion due to centripetal acceleration, leading to confusion about why it is termed centripetal rather than centrifugal. Centripetal force is defined as the force directed towards the center of the circular path, while centrifugal force is perceived as an outward force experienced by an observer, such as the tension felt in a string when swinging an object. The distinction between these forces is clarified, emphasizing that centripetal force acts on the object in motion, whereas centrifugal force is a reaction felt by an external observer. This explanation aims to clarify the concepts of centripetal and centrifugal forces in circular motion.
prashantphy
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"bead sliding on the uniformly rotating frictionless wire in free space" is the standard problem solved in Goldstein's classical mechanics book. The bead moves in outward direction (a=rω2) still why it is called as centripetal acceleration and not centrifugal?
 
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no answer in one month ?
 
I am not familiar with you reference book.
What I can say is that centripetal force is the resultant force towards the centre of a circle ON the object in circular motion.
Centrifugal force is an outwards force and as an example: a stone on a string being swung in a circle, I would say the centrifugal force is the outwards force experienced by the hand at the other end of the string to the stone. It is the outwards force experienced by the person holding the string.
This is probably not a rigorous definition but I hope that it is good enough to provide food for thought !
 

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