Centripetal Force
Subject undefined
Pronunciation: cen•TRIP•e•tal FORCE
Definition
the net force required to keep an object moving along a circular path.
Example
When a car travels through a flat curve in the road, friction supplies the centripetal force to keep the car moving in its circular path. If the frictional force is insufficient (for example, the road is wet or icy) the car will instead travel in a straight line along a tangent path and leave the road.
