What is Centrifugal Force

Publish Time:

2022-09-30 09:01

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What is Centrifugal Force

Centrifugal force is a manifestation of inertia and does not actually exist. In order to make an object to move in a circular motion, the object needs to experience a force directed toward the center of the circle - the centripetal force.

If the coordinates are established with this object as the origin, it looks as is there is a force opposite to the same magnitude as the centripetal force, causing the object to move away from the center of the circular motion. (When the force of the object is not enough to provide the centripetal force required for circular motion, it looks as if the centrifugal force is greater than the centripetal force, and the object will move aways from the center of the circle. This phenomenon is called "centrifugal phenomenon")

Assuming that if centrifugal force exists, it is in balance with the centripetal force, the object is balanced by force, and the direction of velocity will not change, it is a state of equilibrium, and circular motion is impossible, so it is proved that centrifugal force does not exist, that is, centrifugal force is named after the effect of force.

Note: Centrifugal force does not actually exist as an inertial force. The great scientist and physicist Descartes made this mistake in his “vortex theory”. Therefore, the following statement is wrong: “When an object moves in a circular motion, it is subjected to a tangential force in the tangential direction of its orbit, and a component force acts in the centrifugal direction, so it is called centrifugal force”.