In Physics, Centripetal Force is a force that brings the parts of a rotating object toward the center of the object. It then causes the parts to move in a circular path. This force is directly opposite to centrifugal force, which pulls an object away from its center. I used a bucket that was filled with water and spun it in circles and the water did not fall out. This happened because in a properly rotating part, such as the bucket full of water that I used, both forces must be equal. If the centripetal force is too much or does not exist, the bucket will fling away from your hand and the water will go in all directions. In this example, the centripetal force allowed all of the water to remain in the bucket as it was completely upside down. The centripetal force is proportional to the square of the velocity, implying that a doubling of speed will require four times the centripetal force to keep the motion in a circle. If the centripetal force must be provided by friction alone on a curve, an increase in speed could lead to an unexpected explosion if the friction is not good enough.
Sydney Phillips
http://www.sydney1206.blogger.com
