Zentripetal
Zentripetal is a term used in German-language physics to describe inward-directed forces and accelerations that keep an object moving along a circular path. In English literature the corresponding concept is centripetal. The term is often used in discussions of circular motion and the dynamics that sustain it.
Mathematically, if an object of mass m moves with speed v along a circle of radius r,
Equations notational: F_c = m v^2 / r; a_c = v^2 / r.
If the net force is toward the center, radial motion remains circular; any deviation results in a
In German physics literature, Zentripetalkraft is the standard term for centripetal force, and Zentripetalbeschleunigung for centripetal
Centripetal concepts are contrasted with centrifugal effects, which appear as outward forces in a rotating reference