The Centrifugal Force Calculator is a specialized tool for calculating centrifugal force based on mass, angular velocity, and rotation radius. This calculator is particularly useful in physics education, engineering applications, and scientific research involving rotational motion.
Centrifugal force is an apparent force that acts outward on a body moving around a center, arising from the body's inertia. It is observed in a rotating reference frame and is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the centripetal force.
The centrifugal force is calculated using the formula:
F = m × ω² × r
Where:
This formula shows that centrifugal force is directly proportional to mass and radius, but proportional to the square of angular velocity.
Centrifugal force is closely related to centripetal force, which is the real force that keeps an object moving in a circular path. While centripetal force acts inward toward the center of rotation, centrifugal force appears to act outward in the rotating reference frame.
Let's calculate the centrifugal force for a 2 kg object rotating at 3 rad/s with a radius of 1.5 m:
Given:
Calculation: F = m × ω² × r F = 2 × 3² × 1.5 F = 2 × 9 × 1.5 F = 27 N
Therefore, the centrifugal force is 27 Newtons.
When a car takes a turn, passengers feel pushed outward due to centrifugal force. For a 70 kg passenger in a car turning with an angular velocity of 0.5 rad/s at a radius of 20 m: F = 70 × 0.5² × 20 = 350 N
During the spin cycle, clothes experience centrifugal force that pushes them against the drum wall. For a 5 kg load spinning at 50 rad/s with a radius of 0.2 m: F = 5 × 50² × 0.2 = 2500 N
A satellite in orbit experiences centrifugal force that balances gravitational attraction. For a 500 kg satellite orbiting Earth with an angular velocity of 0.001 rad/s at a radius of 7,000,000 m: F = 500 × 0.001² × 7,000,000 = 3500 N
While our calculator uses angular velocity directly, it's useful to understand the relationship between angular velocity (ω) and linear velocity (v):
v = ω × r
Where:
This means the centrifugal force can also be expressed as:
F = (m × v²) / r
This Centrifugal Force Calculator provides an efficient way to perform these important physics calculations, helping students, engineers, and researchers understand the forces involved in rotational motion.