Centripetal Force Formula

Centripetal Force Formula

Any force, or combination of forces, can result in centripetal or radial acceleration. A few examples are the tension in the rope on a tether ball, the force of Earth’s gravity on the Moon, friction between roller skates and a rink floor, the force of a banked highway on a car, and forces on the tube of a spinning centrifuge.

The term centripetal force refers to any net force that causes uniform circular motion. A centripetal force is directed towards the centre of curvature, just as a centripetal acceleration.

Formula of Centripetal Force

Centripetal force refers to a force that acts on a body travelling in a circular route and is directed towards the centre of the body. When an item moves along a circular direction at a constant speed, it feels an accelerating centripetal force towards the centre.

The equation for centripetal force is as follows.

Where

Fc is the centripetal force

 m is mass

 v is velocity

 r is the radius of the path

Solved Examples on Centripetal Force

Example 1: A van of 1,500 Kg is travelling at 30.0 m/s covers a curve of radius 300 m. Find the centripetal force.

Solution

The given parameters are

mass = 1,500 Kg

radius = 300 m

Velocity = 30.0 m/s

Substitute the values in the given formula

$$F_c= 1500(900)/300$$

$$F_c = 4500 N$$