Okuzeka
Physics vocabulary · Motion and Forces

Centripetal force

Meaning in physics, with examples

nounCommon term

In physics, centripetal force means: The net force that keeps an object moving in a circle, always pointing towards the centre of the circle. It equals mv²/r.

In Turkish: merkezcil kuvvet

How it is used

It is not a separate kind of force: tension, gravity, friction or a normal force provides it. For a satellite it is gravity; for a car on a bend it is friction. The outward 'centrifugal force' only appears when you describe motion from a rotating frame of reference.

Example sentences

  1. Gravity provides the centripetal force that keeps the Moon in orbit.

  2. On an icy road, friction may be too small to supply the centripetal force, and the car skids.

Common collocations

  • provide the centripetal force
  • centripetal acceleration
  • circular motion
  • centrifugal force
  • accelerationThe rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. It can mean speeding up, slowing down or changing direction, and it is measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).
  • net forceThe single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting on an object together. It is the vector sum of those forces and decides the object's acceleration.
  • gravityThe attractive force that every mass exerts on every other mass. On Earth it pulls objects towards the centre of the planet and gives them weight.
  • velocityHow fast an object moves in a particular direction. It is speed with a direction, so it is a vector, measured in metres per second (m/s).
  • tensionThe pulling force in a stretched string, rope, cable or chain. It acts along the string and pulls on the objects attached at both ends.

More terms: Motion and Forces

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: