Do you have the same objection to the forward force of tension, the backward force of friction or the downward force of gravity. It seems to me that the terms "centripetal" and "centrifugal" simply describe the direction of particular forces or groups of forces. If our students use a system schema to determine the objects interacting by each force, their force diagrams tend to be more accurate and instructive.
skip
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Tarara [mailto:rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 07:34
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Centrifugal force
Since in the inertial reference frame, the 'centrifugal' force is
fictitious, then no, centrifugal is not the N3 force to the centripetal. A
good instructional resource is the classic FRAMES OF REFERENCE film.
<www.ztek.com/physics/physicspdf/forspec.pdf> Despite 60's clothing and a
rather pedantic speaking style, the film still effectively deals with the
basics.
In fact, many of us also object to the term 'centripetal' force on the
pedagogical grounds that students come to think that there is such a thing
in nature called the centripetal force. You will get free-body diagrams
with a force labeled Centripetal Force. I try to talk about the centripetal
acceleration and the need to identify the force or forces that produce the
centripetal acceleration.
Rick
*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
NEW: Standing Waves on a String--lab simulation
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
Energy 2100--class project
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/ENERGY_PROJECT/ENERGY2100.htm
********************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kilmer, Skip" <kilmers@GREENHILL.ORG>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 8:04 AM
Subject: Centrifugal force
I've never really understood Physics teachers' distaste for the phrase,
centrifugal force. Doesn't N3 tell us that for every centripetal force on an
object there is an equal centrifugal force on another object?
skip