This video segment explains centripetal force and illustrates how roller coasters rely on it to give you a thrilling ride. Includes background reading material and discussion questions. [4:40]

In this interactive activity from NOVA, discover how centripetal force can affect you when riding in a car or flying at high speeds in a fighter jet.

What keeps you in your seat of a giant loop-de-loop roller coaster? Surprisingly, it is not the seatbelt but the seat. It works because of something called centripetal force and it does much more than make a great roller coaster. In this...

Wikipedia's site on centripetal force provides a section explaining the difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force. Includes formulas and hyperlinked terms.

By the end of this section, you will be able to calculate coefficient of friction on a car tire and to calculate ideal speed and angle of a car on a turn.

Learn what centripetal forces are and how to calculate them. Included are two problems with the solutions provided.

Through illustrated examples and practice problems, students explore the centripetal force requirement. So for an object moving in a circle, there must be an inward force acting upon it in order to cause its inward acceleration.

A website that reviews centripetal force with key concepts, equations, and skills for needed to understand centripetal force.

In this physics activity, students will simulate a race car on a circular track. Velocity, acceleration, and force vectors will be analyzed at various places along the track. As the students progress in the activity, prompts for student...

This resource provides an exceptional explanation of centripetal force. Explains why the common misconception of a centrifugal force is incorrect.

This resource features an applet that models the motion of a carousel ride at an amusement park to demonstrate centripetal force. The motion parameters can be modified and seen in the animation.

Animation depicting the effect of a centripetal force on the motion of an object. Newton's laws are used to explain why circular motion requires an inward-directed force.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about centripetal motion in the context of a bobsled on a track. Adjust variables to test how many ways the bobsled can stay on the track in a race with the simulation. Examine potential problems...

In the following interactive students will begin to calculate coefficient of friction on a car tire. They will also calculate ideal speed and angle of a car on a turn.

This study guide on circular motion covers key terms, centripetal force, linear vs. circular motion, precession, and equations. Includes four example problems with detailed solutions. The guide is available for download with free...

This video segment adapted from NOVA looks at speed, velocity, and centripetal force on the racetrack. [6:28]

Students work as physicists to understand centripetal acceleration concepts. They also learn about a good robot design and the accelerometer sensor. They also learn about the relationship between centripetal acceleration and centripetal...

In this lab students will explore multiple variables of centripetal acceleration. Students collect data on distance from the center of rotation and angular speed, in order to determine the Centripetal Acceleration. Student also research...

Roller coaster rides are notorious for creating accelerations and g-forces. The magnitude and direction of normal force and gravity during the motion through a coaster's loop are depicted this animation.

Centripetal motion can be a complex topic so use this website to review the key concepts, equations, and skills for centripetal motion. Also, the connection to centripetal acceleration is discussed here.

Investigate centripetal force in this activity where you create a mini-tornado in two connected soda bottles.

Explains what force is and the formulas used to calculate it in different scenarios.

In this activity, young scholars observe the centripetal acceleration of an object in uniform circular motion. Relate the changes in velocity and radius to the centripetal acceleration.

Students learn about various forces and how they relate to everyday life in this interactive learning module.