Centripetal force
Centripetal force is a force that pulls or pushes things towards the center of a circle when they are moving in a circular path. For example, when you swing around in a circle on a playground swing, there is a force that is keeping you moving in a circular path instead of flinging you off in a straight line.
This force is called the centripetal force, and it usually comes from things like friction, gravity, or tension in a string or rope. The centripetal force keeps objects moving in a circular path by constantly pulling them towards the center of the circle.
Think of it like this: if you tie a string to a rock and twirl the rock around in a circle, the string is pulling the rock inward towards the center of the circle. This force is what keeps the rock moving in a circular path instead of flying off in a straight line.
Centripetal force plays a big role in many things we see every day, from the way cars go around curves on a track to the way planets move in their orbits around the sun. It's a fundamental concept in physics and helps us understand how things move and interact with each other.
This force is called the centripetal force, and it usually comes from things like friction, gravity, or tension in a string or rope. The centripetal force keeps objects moving in a circular path by constantly pulling them towards the center of the circle.
Think of it like this: if you tie a string to a rock and twirl the rock around in a circle, the string is pulling the rock inward towards the center of the circle. This force is what keeps the rock moving in a circular path instead of flying off in a straight line.
Centripetal force plays a big role in many things we see every day, from the way cars go around curves on a track to the way planets move in their orbits around the sun. It's a fundamental concept in physics and helps us understand how things move and interact with each other.
Related topics others have asked about: