Re: Centrifugal force

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

A number of folks have responded to this well.  I just want to point out
that will due respect, your question implies that you may be confusing
issues having to do with the second law, the forces acting on a single
object, and the third law, equal but opposite forces acting on different
objects.
This is a common problem for students, and shows up often through the
use of the words "equal and opposite" that has a very different meaning
in the context of the 2nd law than it does in the context of the third.

It is a good question to ask ourselves and our students to be sure we
understand the conceptual difference.

cheers,

joe

On
Mon, 17 Nov 2003, Kilmer, Skip wrote:

> I've never really understood Physics teachers' distaste for the phras=
> e, centrifugal force. Doesn't N3 tell us that for every centripetal f=
> orce on an object there is an equal centrifugal force on another obje=
> ct?
> skip=20

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               574-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556