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Re: Centrifugal force



I'm beginning to understand. We have reserved the term, centrifugal, for the "inertial" force arising in a rotating frame of reference, is that what you're saying?
skip

-----Original Message-----
From: Ludwik Kowalski [mailto:kowalskil@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 08:27
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Centrifugal force


On Monday, November 17 Kilmer, Skip wrote:

Doesn't N3 tell us that for every centripetal
force on an object there is an equal
centrifugal force on another object?

Yes, on ANOTHER object. In the example that
was discussed yesterday the track (object #2)
acts on the sliding thing (object #1) with a force
directed toward the center of rotation. We were
asked to construct a free-body force diagram
for the object #1. In that context, the equal and
opposite force, acting on the object #2, was
not relevant. One may be tempted to call the
force acting on the object #2 "centrifugal" but
that term has already been reserved for
something very different.
Ludwik Kowalski