Why is Centrifugal force “not real”? I remember my physics teacher in high school pushing that idea and understanding why back then, but I do not remember now. I also forgot so much about physics in general that a simple would be much appreciated!
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The idea of fake forces comes up in other places aswell, and I think a car is the easiest to intuitively understand.
So, you‘re sitting in a car and you hit the gas pedal. The only force in that scenario is the one that pushes the car forward. But for you it doesn‘t feel like that. It doesn‘t feel like you‘re being moved forward. Instead it feels like you‘re being pushed into the seat.
What you‘re feeling is not the force that moves you forward, but rather your own Inertia. Your body doesn‘t want to move forward but the car does, so your body is, in a sense, pushing against the car. This is the force that you think is there, when in reality it‘s not really there.
And the same goes for circular motion. If you drive straight forward and you want to turn left you need a force that pushes your car to the left. This time however it feels like you‘re being pushed to the right.
And again, that‘s not actual force you‘re feeling. It‘s your own inertia. Your body wants to keep on going straight, but the car forces you to turn left.
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