Re:They ain't engineers...
on
Beer In Space
·
· Score: 1
Whether there is such a thing as centrifugal force is a matter of interpretation. In a physics text I used while studying physics in college, it was referred to as a "Fictional Force." Another example of a fictional force is the Coriolus force.
The feeling of being thrown out when under centripetal acceleration (which actually pulls you IN) is what we refer to as centrifugal force. Since we actually feel like we're being thrown out it's naive to dismiss that and say there's no such thing; which is why the idea of a centrifugal "fictional" force is useful.
The basic idea behind a fictional force is when you're in an accelerating reference frame: you percieve forces that are "not there". So some people call them fictional.
When you study general relativity the notion of a fictional force comes back with more significance.
So, people who say there is no such thing as centrifugal force are as naive as the people they're trying to impress when they say the things they say.
Slashdot Mirror
Whether there is such a thing as centrifugal force is a matter of interpretation. In a physics text I used while studying physics in college, it was referred to as a "Fictional Force." Another example of a fictional force is the Coriolus force.
The feeling of being thrown out when under centripetal acceleration (which actually pulls you IN) is what we refer to as centrifugal force. Since we actually feel like we're being thrown out it's naive to dismiss that and say there's no such thing; which is why the idea of a centrifugal "fictional" force is useful.
The basic idea behind a fictional force is when you're in an accelerating reference frame: you percieve forces that are "not there". So some people call them fictional.
When you study general relativity the notion of a fictional force comes back with more significance.
So, people who say there is no such thing as centrifugal force are as naive as the people they're trying to impress when they say the things they say.