centrifugal force

centrifugal force

noun

Definition of CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

: the apparent force that is felt by an object moving in a curved path that acts outwardly away from the center of rotation — compare centripetal force

First Known Use of CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

circa 1721

centrifugal force

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Fictitious force, peculiar to circular motion, that is equal but opposite to the centripetal force that keeps a particle on a circular path (see centripetal acceleration). For example, a stone attached to a string and whirling in a horizontal circular path is accelerated toward the centre of its path by the tension in the string, the only force acting on the string. However, in a reference frame at rest with the stone, another force—the centrifugal force—must be introduced for Newton's laws of motion to apply. Centrifugal force is a useful concept in analyzing behaviour in rotating systems.