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  Why is there centrifugal force?

+ 0 like - 1 dislike
1345 views

If something goes at linear velocity, there is no force and the object can't tell if it's moving or not. It might as well be the whole ambient space is moving (relative to the object) - it makes no difference.

But if the object is rotating (e.g. a spaceship) in vacuum it stays in this rotational motion (due to conservation of rotational momentum), but there is still centrifugal force on the object (e.g. on a person in the rotating spaceship). Why isn't this the same as in linear movement? Shouldn't it be the same if the ambient space is rotating or the spaceship is rotating? But in one case there is a force but in the other case there is no force?

If you'd be put in an infinite vacuum and would accelerate, when you stop the acceleration, you might as well be stationary. But if you would apply angular acceleration and stop the acceleration, would you still feel the centrifugal force?

Closed as per community consensus as the post is not graduate-level
asked Aug 26, 2018 in Closed Questions by Jake [ no revision ]
recategorized Aug 26, 2018 by Dilaton

imagine a sling. ( not a question for PO )

Velocity changes its direction due to a force, this is a basic mechanics. By the way, the spaceship experiences a centripetal force. Just write its equation of motion and see. Voting to close.

This is not graduate-level.

500+ rep users can upvote the closevote here.

I thought it might get closed. I found out it's Mach's principle.

Anyway, I'm still not convinced there would be centripetal force if I'd be in an empty universe rotating. The question is what happens when there's another person also rotating a million miles away.





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