Does centrifugal force teach us about gravity?
08.06.2025 00:01
Not really - you can kinda use centrifugal force as a kind of stand-in for gravity - or to oppose gravity in (for example) a orbital situation - but the two things are really wildly different.
However, in many situations - talking about centrifugal forces can be a VERY useful simplification and thinking aid.
The more anal scientists out there insist that it’s not a proper force - and that we should either stop using it - or talk about centripetal force instead…blah, blah, blah.
Why should you never do drugs? Will this story absolutely shock you?
And then there are those on the higher scale of anality who really don’t want to talk about gravity as a force either - since it’s just a consequence of the curvature of space-time.