Centripetal Force

Overview

Link to Experience: https://play.phenomena.app/player/3SO5ZmphUWA1CBZHJ67Z

Topics: physics, forces, circular motion, centripetal force, free-body diagrams

Grades: 11-12

Standards:

Duration to complete: 10-15 minutes

Learning outcome: Students will understand that centripetal force is a center-seeking force that causes objects to move along a circular path; that it depends on an object’s velocity, mass, and spin radius; and how to calculate it.

In the Classroom

Pre-Experience (Things to Look Out For):

• Have you ever taken a pail of water or a bag of groceries, and spun it in a loop overhead? Did everything fall out? Why do you think this might be?

• Have you ever heard of centripetal force? What do you think it refers to?

• If a car is driving in circles, which direction does its velocity arrow point at any given moment?

• What factors do you anticipate affecting centripetal force?

Post-Experience (Things to Think About):

• Which variables affect centripetal force?

• What happens when centripetal force is weaker than the force of gravity?

• How does centripetal force change as you increase or decrease velocity?

• If you decrease the radius of an object moving on a circular path, what factors can you change to keep centripetal force the same?

• If you increase the mass of an object moving on a circular path, what factors can you change to keep centripetal force the same?