alleryStart learning →In which direction does the centripetal force on a body act?
AOpposite to the acceleration
BToward the centre of curvature
COutward, away from the centre
DParallel to the body's velocity
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Toward the centre of curvature
1. Newton's second law makes the net force point the same way as the acceleration it produces.
2. Centripetal acceleration points toward the centre of curvature.
3. So the centripetal force must point toward the centre of curvature as well.
4. Any sense of being flung outward is a feeling in the turning frame, not a real outward force.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation", section 6.3 Centripetal Force_
Keep practising Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation
Browse all Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation questions for NECO SSCE, or explore more Physics topics.
Related questions
Spot the odd onePoints to the centre or not?What gravity depends onCircles and orbits bingoReal force or fictitious?The Moon stays in orbit around the Earth. Which force provides its centripetal force?Why does a centripetal force change a body's direction but never its speed?A stone is whirled on a string in a horizontal circle. What supplies the centripetal force