Centrifugal force

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/centrifugal-force

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the classification?A fictitious or inertial force observed in a rotating frame of reference
2. Why do we feel pushed away on a spinning ride?Because the ride is rotating, our body wants to keep going straight, so inside the rotating frame it looks like a push outward. The real force keeping us on the ride is the inward centripetal force.
3. How is centrifugal force calculated?Use the formula F = m ω² ρ. The mass (m) is how heavy the object is, ω is how fast it spins, and ρ is the distance from the center.

Inertial Frame of Reference: A frame of reference in which a body remains at rest or moves with constant velocity unless acted upon by a force.
Non-Inertial Frame of Reference: A frame of reference that is accelerating or rotating, requiring fictitious forces to describe motion within it.
Centripetal Force: The real force directed towards the center of rotation that is necessary to keep an object moving in a circular path.