Difference between Centrifugal Force and Centripetal Force
Centrifugal force refers to the tendency of an object to follow a curved path away from the center of the curve itself. This isn’t really a force, but rather a result of inertia, which is an object’s tendency to resist change whether it’s moving or not. As for the centripetal force , it is a real force, which counteracts the centrifugal force and prevents the body in question from “flying away”, since it keeps it moving at a constant speed and with a circular path. Both terms are often confused with each other, however, there are small but significant differences between the two.
Centrifugal force |
Centripetal force |
|
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is the tendency of an object to follow a curved path while moving away from the center of it. It can be described as the “lack of centripetal force”. | Instead, the centripetal force is one that keeps an object moving, with a uniform speed and a circular path. |
| Direction | Around the radius of the circle in question, from the center and towards the object. | Rather, it is going around the radius of the circle, away from the object and toward the center. |
| Example | An example is the mud that comes off a tire while walking, or a child inside a spinning carousel. | A satellite orbiting the Earth. |
| Formula | The formula to calculate the centrifugal force is Fcf=mω²/r | As for the centripetal force, its formula is Fc= mω²/r |
| It was defined by… | Dutch astronomer Christiaan Hygens in 1659. | It was defined by the British physicist Isaac Newton in 1684. |
| force type | Actually, no. Centrifugal force is just the inertia of a moving body. | On the contrary, the centripetal if it is a force. It is the one that prevents the body in question from flying off. |
