Centrifugal force: an appreciation

Abstract

The centrifugal force is used to increase the physical understanding of five examples taken from fluid dynamics, geophysics and the solar system, as well as four hypothetical orbital problems. Each example involves a balance of forces between the centrifugal force and one or two other forces, such as a pressure gradient and a component of the force of gravity. Among the examples chosen for examination are: the orbital motion of fluid particles in surface grav-ity waves, the boundary layer character of steady flow next to a curved rigid surface, the tornado, the rotating self-gravitating mass and the three-body problem.