Physics › Section D · Circular motion and gravitation › Topic D.2
Centripetal force
Anything moving in a circle needs a push or pull towards the centre. Finding which real force provides it, and how much is needed, explains why cars skid on bends, why race tracks are tilted and why roller-coaster riders stay in their seats upside down.
In this topic
- What keeps it turning?
- The size of the centripetal force
- A role, not a new force
- Worked example: a puck on a string
- Turning on a flat road
- Worked example: a car on a level bend
- Banked curves
- Worked example: designing a banked bend
- Vertical circles and loop-the-loops
- Worked example: the top of a loop
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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