(noun) - a physical force acting upon an object that opposes centrifugal force, thus forcing an object to the center. The word originates from the roots centri (meaning center) and petal (like a flower). Centri.....petal, kind of like Sesame Street.
Nick tried to tell is friends at the Harley Davidson Cafe that centripetal was a word, but because nobody believed him, he had to go home and let google prove his point for him.
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The acceleration towards the center of the circle is known as centripetal acceleration.
An object traveling in a circular path may have a constant speed, but it is not traveling in a straight line. The velocity and direction are changing as velocity is a vector. A change in velocity means the object is accelerating.
Centripetal force provides the centripetal acceleration.