Centrifugal Force
Subject undefined
Pronunciation: cen•TRIF•u•gal FORCE
Definition
a fictitious force that is experienced by a participant when they are in a rotating frame of reference. The force appears to push them "away from the center or axis."
Example
On the carnival ride called a rotor, or gravitron, participants line up against the wall of a vertically rotating cylinder. As the cylinder spins, the participants "feel" as if there is a force pressing them against the wall. A similar force is felt by participants on roller coasters when they rapidly pass through a dip between two adjacent hills.