Centripetal and centrifugal forces are central to circular motion, but they're not the same. Discover the differences between the two often-confused forces.

Centripetal and centrifugal forces are two terms used to describe the physics of circular motion — but only one of them is real. The centripetal force keeps an object moving in a circle and is always ...

A couple of commenters expressed concern over the use of centrifugal force after my rant on the use of the word force. So, what is the deal with these two terms? Are they ok to use? Are they real ...

If a body rotates around an axis other than the one at its own center of mass, it exerts an outward force upon anything that keeps it from going in a straight line. This is the definition ...

It's odd that I have talked about these forces so much. First, I talked about how centrifugal forces were not real and the difference between centrifugal and centripetal forces. Then I talked about ...

Centrifugal force () is the apparent force that draws a rotating body away from the center of rotation. It is caused by the inertia of the body. In Newtonian mechanics, the term centrifugal force is ...