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toward the center of the circle along the radius.

the centrifugal force acts opposite the centripedal force

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Q: What direction does a centripetal force vector point?
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What is the similarities of centrifugal and centripetal force?

Centripetal Force is more directed towards the center of the axis of rotation of an object following an elliptical or circular path. Centrifugal Force is the force that pulls away from the center because of the objects inertia. Example: If you took a rock, tied it to a string, and swung it around, the force from the center of the axis of rotation is centripetal force. The force that causes the rock to pull away from the center, is centrifugal force. If you have ever been in a fast moving car that sharply turns and you feel as if you are pulled to the side, that too is centrifugal force caused by your inertia. The more mass the more inertia. this answer is very good ============================== But largely erroneous. "Centrifugal" force doesn't exist. It's a make-believe, made-up thing, that's not really there. When the centripetal force suddenly shuts off, the object proceeds in a straight line, in the direction it was going at the instant when the centripetal force stopped, and naturally, the straight line takes it straight away from what used to be the center of its motion. We see the object take off straight away from the former center, and we say "Gee, there must be a force pulling it away from there." But there isn't any. That "force" that you think you feel when the car turns a corner and you get pressed against the door, away from the curve ? That's just the tendency of your body to want to keep moving in a straight line, and its reaction to the centripetal force that the car-seat and the door are exerting on you in order to make your body move in a curved path. There is no "centrifugal" force.


When a car makes a turn do seat belts provide you with a centripetal force or centrifugal force?

The seatbelts provide centripetal force. Your inertia is focused in a straight line, and the seatbelts pull you into a circular motion against your inertia when you turn. Centrifugal force has absolutely no application in this scenario. It is a fictitious force that only applies to complex free fall problems while the Earth spins below a falling point. It is a 'fudge factor' in the scientific world.


What is the Definition of displacement in scientific terms?

" The minimum distance between two points is known as Displacement.""The vector distance between two points is known as Displacement."Displacement is a vector quantity and is shown by d.Displacment is the distance and direction of an object's change in possition from the starting point. ( i got this from my science text book but im only 13 so DONT JUDGE ME!!! thank you. ^.^)


Is the direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of motion of the object?

No. The direction of motion is obviously based on the direction it is moving. However the direction of acceleration is based on the direction of the forces acting on an object. If I throw a baseball to you, it is moving horizontally, from me to you, however it has the force of gravity pulling it downwards, so the acceleration would point downwards. (There's also a little air resistance which is slowing it down. Air resistance is a form of friction, and friction always opposes motion. Since it's moving forward, air resistance would pull it backwards. So the acceleration would actually be a small amount back as well as straight down.)


What direction does the needle of a compass point?

One end points to magnetic north and the other end points to the south.

Related questions

Is centre of gravity a vector quantity or scalar quantity?

The center of gravity is a vector quantity as it has both magnitude and direction. It represents the single point where the entire weight of an object can be considered to act.


Can be used to represent the direction and strength of a force?

A vector can represent the direction and strength of a force.


How can you represent a force vector graphically?

A force vector can be represented graphically by an arrow pointing in the direction of the force, with its length proportional to the magnitude of the force. The starting point of the arrow represents the origin of the force, and the arrowhead indicates the direction in which the force is acting.


What is the direction that a centripetal force will point?

A centripetal force always points towards the center of a circular motion. This force is responsible for keeping an object moving in a curved path rather than a straight line.


What is a magnetic field vector?

It is a way of representing the magnetic force at a point in the field. The magnitude and direction of the vector represents the strength and the direction of the magnetic force acting on a charged particle in the field.


Which direction does the centripetal acceleration point?

The centripetal acceleration points towards the center of the circular motion. It is responsible for keeping an object moving in a circle by continuously changing the object's direction.


Is electric field scalar or vector quantity?

Electric field is a vector quantity, as it has both magnitude and direction. The direction of the electric field at a point is the direction of the force that a positive test charge would experience if placed at that point.


How does the Centripetal Force work?

Centripetal force is a force that acts on an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It keeps the object moving in a curved path by changing the direction of its velocity without changing its speed. This force is necessary to prevent the object from moving in a straight line tangent to the circle.


How does centripetal forces work?

The Centripetal Force is the one that pulls an object that travels on a given path about a point in the direction of this point. This force has been stated by Isaac newton.


What is the measure of how effectively a force causes rotation?

The measure of how effectively a force causes rotation is torque. Torque is the product of the force applied and the distance from the pivot point to the point where the force is applied. It is a vector quantity that describes the tendency of a force to rotate an object around an axis.


What is the example of a free vector?

An example of a free vector is wind force as it has both magnitude and direction. This vector can be represented by an arrow pointing in the direction of the wind with a length corresponding to the strength of the wind.


This is a quantity that has both size and direction?

Such a quantity is called a vector. A shining example is velocity itself. velocity is the rate of change of displacement- the distance moved by particle in a specified direction. Since velocity = displacement/time taken = vector/scalar, Velocity thus has both a direction and a magnitude (magnitude = speed of particle) Another examples include quantities such as Force, acceleration, displacement