- #1
How exactly does the centrifugal force work? What causes it? Why is it considered a fictous force?
Did you read that?How exactly does the centrifugal force work? What causes it? Why is it considered a fictous force?
The velocity is always tangential to the circle, so the bend in the velocity (the acceleration) is always toward the center. To make a free object take that turn, and not fly away straight, you must apply a centripetal force. That centripetal force is opposing the centrifugal force that tries to make the object fly away (actually just go straight away at the tangent velocity)Okay it's starting to make more sense now, but how is it that it points opposite the centripetal force and not in the direction of motion?
To make Newtons 2nd law work, as explained in post #3.Okay, I understand now that the centrifugal force opposes the centripetal force. But why exactly?
The inertial centrifugal force (in a rotating frame) acts on all objects, even those on which no real centripetal force is acting.Centrifugal force is an inertial force that results from the change in momentum created by the centripetal force.
The inertial centrifugal force (in a rotating frame) acts on all objects, even those on which no real centripetal force is acting.
Objects in rotating reference frames can have arbitrary accelerations, which are not necessarily centripetal.In a rotating reference frame all objects are by definition subjected to a centripetal acceleration.