Centripetal Force

Key Formulas

	Fc	centripetal force	N
	m	mass	kg
	v	tangential velocity	m/s
	r	radius	m

	Fc	centripetal force	N
	m	mass	kg
	ω	angular velocity	rad/s
	r	radius	m

Tips to Remember

• Confused about whether you have tangential or angular velocity? The biggest tipoff is the unit. Tangential velocities (v) use traditional length divided by time units (m/s, km/hr, mph, etc.). An angular velocity’s units involve angles or revolutions, such as 10 rad/s, or 20 rpm (revolutions per minute).
• If you need to convert revolutions to radians in your angular velocity, use the fact that there are 2π radians in 1 revolution.