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Physics 20 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

diffrentiate between centripetal force and centrifugal force?

OpenStudy (underhill):

Centripetal force is the force pulling in towards the center of the circle. Centrifugal force is the center-fleeing force - think fugal-fleeing. The forces always have the same magnitude, but are opposite in sign (direction).

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Centripetal force is, as mentioned, always directed toward the centre about which rotation is occurring. Think of a car going around a round-about (or traffic circle or traffic island or whatever it's called where you live) - assuming a constant speed is maintained, then the centripetal force is accelerating the car towards the centre of the circle. Passengers in the car however would have their own momentum, and as the car turns around the circle, they may experience a sense of being "pushed" outwards by an invisible force. Obviously no force is actually acting on them, but given the laws of motion and inertia, their mass will naturally attempt to continue in the same direction they were moving immediately prior to turning, resisting the change in direction. This is the concept of centrifugal force, the "pushing" outwards from the circle.

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