rob60 said:Homework Statement
In the study of motion in a Central-Force Field in radial coordinates it is defined an effective potential energy which depends only on the radius r: in particular there is a term 'centrifugal' because the relative force (-grad) has a centrifugal versus. What is the meaning of this expression since it is derived from an inertial frame?
thank you
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
rob60 said:I'm sorry but I do not understand what are the errors. thanks for the help
A central force field is a type of force field where the force acting on an object depends only on the distance between the object and the center of the field.
The term "centrifugal" refers to the apparent outward force experienced by an object in a rotating reference frame. In a central force field, this force is equal and opposite to the centripetal force that keeps the object moving in a circular path.
The centrifugal force term is calculated using the mass of the object, its velocity, and the distance between the object and the center of the force field. The formula for the centrifugal force term is F = mω²r, where F is the centrifugal force, m is the mass, ω is the angular velocity, and r is the distance from the center of the force field.
The centrifugal force term helps to explain the motion of objects in a central force field. It is an important component in understanding the balance between the inward centripetal force and the outward centrifugal force, which determines the shape and stability of orbits in the field.
No, the centrifugal force term cannot be negative in a central force field. This is because the centrifugal force is always directed away from the center of rotation, while the centripetal force is always directed towards the center. Therefore, the centrifugal force term is always positive.