Which statement about centripetal force is true?

Which statement about centripetal force is true?

• A. Directed toward the center of the circular path.
• B. Directed away from the center of the circular path.
• C. Independent of radius.
• D. Proportional to the square of velocity.

Answer: (A)

In circular motion, the object experiences acceleration toward the center of the path, called centripetal acceleration, and the inward force that provides this acceleration is the centripetal force. So the force must point toward the center to keep the motion curved rather than straight. The magnitude is F_c = m v^2 / r, meaning it increases with the speed squared and decreases as the radius grows. This makes the inward direction the defining feature of centripetal force. It’s not directed away from the center, and it’s not independent of radius; for a given speed, a larger radius requires a smaller inward force, and for a given radius, increasing speed requires a larger inward force.

In circular motion, the object experiences acceleration toward the center of the path, called centripetal acceleration, and the inward force that provides this acceleration is the centripetal force. So the force must point toward the center to keep the motion curved rather than straight. The magnitude is F_c = m v^2 / r, meaning it increases with the speed squared and decreases as the radius grows. This makes the inward direction the defining feature of centripetal force. It’s not directed away from the center, and it’s not independent of radius; for a given speed, a larger radius requires a smaller inward force, and for a given radius, increasing speed requires a larger inward force.