What type of force is directed towards the center of a circular path?

What type of force is directed towards the center of a circular path?

• A. Deceleration
• B. Normal force
• C. Centrifugal force
• D. Centripetal force

Answer: (D)

The force that is directed towards the center of a circular path is known as centripetal force. This force is essential for maintaining circular motion and acts perpendicular to the velocity of the object moving in the circle. When an object travels in a circle, it continuously changes direction, and this change in direction requires a net force acting towards the center of the circle, which is the role of the centripetal force. Centripetal force can arise from various sources, such as gravitational force in the case of planets orbiting the sun, tension in a string for an object being swung in a circular motion, or friction for a car turning around a curve. Its magnitude can be calculated using the formula: \[ F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r} \] where \( F_c \) is the centripetal force, \( m \) is the mass of the object, \( v \) is the linear speed, and \( r \) is the radius of the circular path. Understanding centripetal force is crucial in analyzing motion in a circular path, as it helps explain how objects can maintain this motion without flying off tangentially. In the context of the other choices, deceleration refers to the reduction of

The force that is directed towards the center of a circular path is known as centripetal force. This force is essential for maintaining circular motion and acts perpendicular to the velocity of the object moving in the circle. When an object travels in a circle, it continuously changes direction, and this change in direction requires a net force acting towards the center of the circle, which is the role of the centripetal force.

Centripetal force can arise from various sources, such as gravitational force in the case of planets orbiting the sun, tension in a string for an object being swung in a circular motion, or friction for a car turning around a curve. Its magnitude can be calculated using the formula:

[ F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r} ]

where ( F_c ) is the centripetal force, ( m ) is the mass of the object, ( v ) is the linear speed, and ( r ) is the radius of the circular path.

Understanding centripetal force is crucial in analyzing motion in a circular path, as it helps explain how objects can maintain this motion without flying off tangentially. In the context of the other choices, deceleration refers to the reduction of