[sahilmangal]

Can someone please explain on Centrifugal force and centripetal force please? Because I'm unable to follow what's written in my textbook :)

Thanks!

[Unknown008]

Centripetal force is a force which keeps a body moving in a circular motion.

Centrifugal force is the reaction force that the body experiences due to the centripetal force. It is in fact due to the inertia of the body.

EDIT: Oops, I typed 'centripetal force' again in my second sentence instead of centrifugal force...

[ebaines]

"Centripedal acceleration" and "centripedal force" are the correct terms to use when talking about an object in circular motion. They refer to the acceleration of an object that is revolving about a central point, and the force that the object must be subjected to for it to go in that circular path. Note that the centripedal acceleration and force are both vectors that point in the direction from the object toward the center of rotation (i.e. inward facing).

The term "centrifugal force" is sometimes used to refer to the opposite force - the force that is felt at the center that points outward towad the object. Imaging swinging a bucket of water over your head - the bucket experiences a force towards the center of rotation (that's centripedal force) while your arm and shoulder feel an outward force (the centrifugal force). The maginitiude of the centrifugal force on your shoulder is the same as the magnitude of the centripedal force on the bucket, but in the opposite direction.

To make things complicated, many people mistakenly used the two terms interchangeably. In general it's usually safest to just use the term "centripedal" when talking about the behavior of an object in circular motion.