sentrifugaalivoimaa

Sentrifugaalivoimaa, often translated as centrifugal force, is a fictitious or apparent force that acts outward on a body moving in a circular path. It is not a true force in the Newtonian sense, meaning it does not arise from an interaction between two objects. Instead, it is a consequence of inertia and the observer's frame of reference. When an object moves in a circle, its velocity is constantly changing direction, which requires a real force, the centripetal force, to act towards the center of the circle to maintain this motion. An observer in the same rotating frame of reference as the object perceives this outward tendency as a force.

In a non-inertial, accelerating frame of reference, such as one that is rotating, fictitious forces like centrifugal force appear. From an inertial frame (a frame not accelerating), the object is simply trying to move in a straight line due to inertia, and the centripetal force is what pulls it into a circular path. From the perspective of someone on the rotating platform, it feels as if an outward force is pushing them away from the center. This apparent force is proportional to the mass of the object, the square of its angular velocity, and the radius of the circular path.

Examples of where the effect of centrifugal force is observed include amusement park rides like carousels or centrifuges used in laboratories to separate substances of different densities. In these scenarios, the outward push felt by passengers or the samples is a manifestation of their inertia resisting the change in direction imposed by the circular motion. While it's a useful concept for describing motion in rotating frames, it's important to remember it's an effect of inertia rather than a fundamental interaction.