Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo
Back

Centripetal Forces definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Centripetal Force
    A force that keeps an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle.
  • Circular Motion
    Movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path.
  • Tangential Velocity
    The linear speed of something moving along a circular path, directed along the tangent to the path.
  • Free Body Diagram
    A graphical illustration used to visualize the forces acting on an object.
  • Normal Force
    The force perpendicular to the surface that an object contacts, balancing the object's weight.
  • Gravitational Force
    The force of attraction between two masses, often represented as mg for objects near Earth's surface.
  • Tension
    The force transmitted through a string, rope, or wire when it is pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends.
  • Centripetal Acceleration
    The acceleration of an object moving in a circle, directed towards the center of the circle.
  • Radius
    The distance from the center of a circle to any point on its circumference.
  • Period
    The time taken for one complete cycle of motion in a circular path.
  • Frequency
    The number of cycles per unit time in a periodic motion, inverse of the period.
  • Net Force
    The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined.
  • Coordinate System
    A system that uses numbers to represent a point, line, or the like, in a space of given dimensions.
  • Velocity
    The speed of something in a given direction, calculated as distance over time.
  • Newton's Second Law
    A principle stating that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object times its acceleration.