Which force pulls inward toward the turn center?

Which force pulls inward toward the turn center?

• A. Momentum
• B. Centripetal force
• C. Weight shift
• D. Centrifugal force

Answer: (B)

Circular motion requires an inward net force toward the center to keep an object from flying outward due to inertia. This inward pull is centripetal force. It isn’t a separate kind of force by itself; it’s the name for the net inward force produced by real forces in the system—such as friction between tires and the road, or the normal and gravity components depending on the situation—that causes the inward acceleration a = v^2 / r. In a turning car, for example, the tires’ friction provides the centripetal force that keeps the vehicle on the curve. Momentum is a measure of motion, not a force, so it doesn’t pull inward. Weight shift describes how weight distribution changes during a turn, not the inward pull itself. Centrifugal force is a fictitious outward effect that appears in rotating frames, not an actual inward force acting on the object in an inertial frame.

Circular motion requires an inward net force toward the center to keep an object from flying outward due to inertia. This inward pull is centripetal force. It isn’t a separate kind of force by itself; it’s the name for the net inward force produced by real forces in the system—such as friction between tires and the road, or the normal and gravity components depending on the situation—that causes the inward acceleration a = v^2 / r. In a turning car, for example, the tires’ friction provides the centripetal force that keeps the vehicle on the curve. Momentum is a measure of motion, not a force, so it doesn’t pull inward. Weight shift describes how weight distribution changes during a turn, not the inward pull itself. Centrifugal force is a fictitious outward effect that appears in rotating frames, not an actual inward force acting on the object in an inertial frame.