The Centrifugal Force Paradox
| Scientific Paper | |
|---|---|
| Title | The Centrifugal Force Paradox |
| Author(s) | David Tombe |
| Published | 2011 |
| Journal | General Science Journal |
| No. of pages | 4 |
Abstract
It is commonly taught nowadays that centrifugal force doesn't exist, except as a fictitious force that is only observable from a rotating frame of reference. This belief is based on Newton's law of inertia which states that a body undergoing straight line motion at constant speed experiences no net force, and that curved path motion involves only a centripetal force. However, if we split the net zero force of straight line constant speed motion into polar components, we find that one of these is a centrifugal force component which can physically react with constraints, hence revealing an underlying pressure associated with inertia. Further evidence that centrifugal force is a real physical force arises when inertial pressure becomes asymmetrical, as happens in a radial gravitational field or in a solenoidal magnetic field.