ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Reactive centrifugal force

Imagine you're sitting at the edge of a playground roundabout and someone suddenly starts spinning it really fast. As the roundabout spins, you feel like you're being pulled outwards and might fall off. This is the centrifugal force, which is the imaginary force that seems to push objects away from the center of a spinning object.

Now let's say you're standing on the roundabout and you throw a ball outwards. As soon as you let go of the ball, it may look like it's going straight, but in reality, it's moving in a curved path. This is because the ball is not only affected by your throw but also by the centrifugal force of the spinning roundabout.

The reactive centrifugal force is the force that acts in the opposite direction of the centrifugal force but is still created by the same spinning object. It's like a counterbalance force that keeps objects on a curved path instead of flying off in a straight line.

In other words, reactive centrifugal force is the force that makes it possible for you to throw a ball and have it curve back towards you while you're spinning on a roundabout. Without this force, the ball would simply fly away from you in a straight line.