Centripetal Force

The centripetal force is the net force required to keep an object in circular motion. If the net force on an object towards the center of the circle is greater than the centripetal force required, the object will get pulled inward. If the net force is less, the object will project outwards.

One thing that is absolutely important to know for centripetal force is that the centripetal force on an object in circular motion is not a unique type of force. Centripetal means "center-seeking" so any force directed towards the center on an object is centripetal, whether it be the electric force, gravity(in astronomy), tension, or even static friction(in the case of turns).

As mentioned before, the centripetal force is the net force required to keep an object in circular motion which, as stated in the introductory article linked above, is directed radially towards the center at all times.

Since the centripetal acceleration is given by:

By Newton's 2nd Law, since the net force is the product of mass and acceleration and centripetal is essentially the net circular force, the centripetal force on an object is

This is the mathematical form of the centripetal force on an object. You set it up the same way by summing all the forces acting towards the center of an object. This means you need to divide forces into components but no longer are they in x and y components. They're now in vertical and centripetal components so you should set up your trigonometric ratios and forces accordingly.