centripetal force
Type: Concept
As of November 2026, centripetal force has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Stuff You Should Know (Dec 2025).
Centripetal force is the force that makes a body follow a curved path. The direction of the centripetal force is always orthogonal to the motion of the body and towards the fixed point of the instantaneous center of curvature of the path. Isaac Newton coined the term, describing it as "a force by which bodies are drawn or impelled, or in any way tend, towards a point as to a centre". In Newtonian mechanics, gravity provides the centripetal force causing astronomical orbits.
| Mentioned in | 1 episode on 1 podcast (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| First heard | Dec 2025 on Stuff You Should Know |
| Field | Physics |
Who talks about centripetal force on podcasts?
centripetal force came up; the most recent mention was Dec 2025 on Stuff You Should Know.
What is centripetal force mentioned alongside?
centripetal force is most often mentioned alongside Belgium, Great Britain and sysk podcast.
Mentioned together: Belgium, Great Britain, sysk podcast, International Olympic Committee, facebook.com/stuffyoushouldknow, stuffpodcast@howstuffworks.com, Chuck Bryant, angular momentum, friction, centrifugal force