I am a university educated (primarily sciences), middle aged dude and I still cannot understand the difference between these 2 forces / phenomena.
In: Physics
Centripetal force is a real force, while centrifugal force is an apparent force.
Newton’s first law states “a body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, except insofar as it is acted upon by a force.” So for something to move in a circle, there must be force pushing it towards the center of the circle. That is the centripetal force. Latin for “center seeking”.
For a yoyo being swung around, the force is the string pulling on it. For the planets and moons orbits, the force is gravity. For a car going around a curve, the force is the friction between the tires and the road.
But when you’re *in* the car, it certainly feels like you’re being swung outward and into the side. That’s the centrifugal force. Latin for “center fleeing”. It’s not a “real” force. In reality, your body is trying to stay on that straight line but the car is pushing you inward towards the center.
But within the reference frame of “inside the car”, objects are moving towards one side of the car. Even though centrifugal force isn’t real, it’s still useful for discussing what’s going on within that reference frame.
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