About Centrifugal Forces

A centrifugal force is an apparent force arising from a body's inertia. When a body is in rotation about an axis at a constant velocity, the centrifugal force acts on the body, pulling it outward from the center.

See Also
Applying Centrifugal Forces

A centrifugal force consists of two components:

  • Axis of rotation
  • Rotational velocity

A centrifugal force describes the force due to motion of bodies rotating about an axis. It acts in an outward direction, pulling the bodies away from the center. A centrifugal force appears to counteract the centripetal force (which induces rotational motion) in that it is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.