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Difference Between Centripetal Force And Centrifugal Force

October 3, 2022
written by Adeel Abbas

The difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force is that the force needed for circular motion is centripetal force and the force that makes something flee from the center is called centrifugal force.

What is Centripetal Force?

Centripetal force is an important concept in physics and is the opposite of centrifugal force. The force needed to move something in a circle is shown here. The force can be several things, such as gravity, the tension in a rope, or any combination.

image showing the ball spinning on a string due to centripetal force

Centripetal force is a name for a force that can make something move in a circle. The force is always directed towards the center of the circle of motion.

The formula of centripetal force is Fc=mv2/r

Here v is the velocity of the object and r is the radius of the circle.

What is Centrifugal Force?

Centrifugal force is a pseudo force in a circular motion which is directed away from the center of the circle. The force does not exist when a frame of reference is used to make a measurement. It only comes into play when we change our reference frame from a ground/inertial to a rotating frame.

The centripetal force formula describes a real phenomenon and reverses the direction of the force to describe a fictitious phenomenon.

Fc=mv2/r

Difference Between Centripetal Force And Centrifugal Force

There is some difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force.

image showing the Difference Between Centripetal Force And Centrifugal Force
Centripetal ForceCentrifugal Force
A centripetal force is a force that makes a body follow a path.Centrifugal force is a pseudo force in a circular motion which is directed away from the center of the circle.
It pulled the object toward the center.It pushed the object away from the center.
It is the real force.It is pseudo-force.
It can be seen from a frame of reference.It is observed from a non-inertial frame of reference.
The car moving in c circular path and a ball attached to a string and rotated are examples of centripetal force.Banked Roads and Drifting are examples of centrifugal force.

Related FAQs

What are 5 centrifugal forces examples?

These are some examples of centrifugal force.
Banked Roads.
Marry-Go-Round.
Drifting.
Centrifugal Clutches.
Washing Machine.

What is the difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force with example?

The difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force is that the force needed for circular motion is centripetal force and the force that makes something flee from the center is called centrifugal force.

Can centripetal and centrifugal force balance each other?

Centripetal force and centrifugal force can’t cancel each other because If you look at the frame of reference, Centripetal force and Centrifugal forces are both the same force. The force that is acting on the body is called centripetal force. The second law of motion is being corrected by the pseudo force of this centrifugal force.