Question on Tire Balancing
- Thread starter Trixie
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Centrifugal force is real and not real. For some applications it is easier to use centrifugal but in physics, it is never ok. They are the same exact thing. Centrifugal force is more the laymans version of the same concept. Think of how difficult it would be to put a satellite into orbit if you decide to make a negative number positive(which is what the difference is between the two). This is why in physics classes, you are told to stay far far away from centrifugal force. It would be disastrous if a future engineer went through college thinking centrifugal force was valid.
I think this discussion about centripetal force is simple, compared to Sharon's original tire balancing question. That's another bag of worms right there.
I read an article about circular motion a few years ago, and they used the phrase "apparent centrifugal force". I thought that was a pretty good way to explain it.
When you're riding in a car (right side seat) and the driver takes a hard left turn, It FEELS like you're being pushed, by a force, into the door. It's actually the door pushing on you.
How can an inanimate object push on something? If we're in a car and not moving and I reach over and push you against the door, is that me forcing you against the door, or is that the door pushing against you.
I read an article about circular motion a few years ago, and they used the phrase "apparent centrifugal force". I thought that was a pretty good way to explain it.
When you're riding in a car (right side seat) and the driver takes a hard left turn, It FEELS like you're being pushed, by a force, into the door. It's actually the door pushing on you.
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Did you ever see a cop car push another car out of the way? The cop cars often have push bars on their bumpers.
How can an inanimate object push on something? If we're in a car and not moving and I reach over and push you against the door, is that me forcing you against the door, or is that the door pushing against you.
But in that scenario, the car moved, you didn't stray from the movement you were in (going straight). I asked the kid who loves physics if there's such a thing as centrifugal force and he said no. So this discussion has helped me immensely.
In order to understand this, I had to break the word centrifugal down into it's parts, and doing so, it's easier to understand. I assume the word when broken down means center force.
So now lets see if I understand. In order for there to be centrifugal force, if while swinging the string around with the rock on the end and then you suddenly release the string, the rock would have to continue around in the same arc you were swinging it in for there to be true centrifugal force. It's the centripetal force that keeps the rock in it's arc and why when it's removed that the rock continues straight outward but not in it's arc which would be centrifugal force. Am I getting it?
Sorry budpytko, I think this is it for me.
So now lets see if I understand. In order for there to be centrifugal force, if while swinging the string around with the rock on the end and then you suddenly release the string, the rock would have to continue around in the same arc you were swinging it in for there to be true centrifugal force. It's the centripetal force that keeps the rock in it's arc and why when it's removed that the rock continues straight outward but not in it's arc which would be centrifugal force. Am I getting it?
Sorry budpytko, I think this is it for me.
That's funny because I was going to post that last night. It just reminded me of the same thing.
How about this one:
Why is (was) Detroit known as the Motor City, when they used to build engines there?
Now that deserves a post of it's own.
Yes, it does deserve it's own post. But I think it's really becuase of the Motor City Madman himself, Nugent.