I am a university educated (primarily sciences), middle aged dude and I still cannot understand the difference between these 2 forces / phenomena.
In: Physics
Centrifugal force is a fictitious for that seems to “press” matter against the wall of the centrifuge. Like have gravity presses your body to the ground. But it’s fictitious, it’s not real, it is simple motion and your bodies inertia that is making it SEEM like a force pushing you against the wall of those carnival rides. But when the ride stops, the “force” goes away. If the earth stopped spinning, gravity wouldn’t go away.
“Centripetal force” is a generic term that can actually apply to many different forces. Centripetal force is any force that pushing you towards the center of a circle/radius/curve. This could gravity, like where gravity acts as a centripetal force pulling the moon around the earth. This could be a “normal” force. Like in that carnival ride, the force of the wall of the carnival ride pushing against your body is a real force, that’s a centripetal force.
So to put it in carnival ride terms. Centrifugal force is a perceived force that pushes you AWAY from the center of a circle/curve. Centripetal force is a real force that causes you to circle/curve. Centrifugal force is your brain thinking you’re getting pushed against the wall. Centripetal force is the wall actually pushing against you (and keeping you from flying off the ride).
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