Cups and ball Centrifugal Force Experiment

Now the object of this experiment is to separate the two balls – put one ball in each glass, this would seem tough. But just place the glasses on a table and spin them! The balls will be separated. The spinning glasses will make the balls fly towards the extreme ends.

When you swing an object around on a string or rope, the object will pull outward on the string. This is called the centrifugal force and is caused by the inertia of the object, where it seeks to follow a straight-line path. It is also called an inertial force.

The centrifugal force is equal and opposite to the centripetal force that acts on the object, causing it to move in a curved line.

Applications of centrifugal force include a rotating disk and water in a swinging bucket. The equation for the centrifugal force is similar to that for centripetal force.

This centripetal (center seeking) force actually points toward the center of the circle, but a roller coaster rider experiences(feels) the sensation of a centrifugal force, a pseudo force pushing them toward the outer edge of the car. This sensation is actually the result of the rider’s inertia.