Centripetal Force Calculator
Calculate centripetal force instantly in your browser — the published formula, worked locally with no data sent anywhere.
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What this tool does
Calculate centripetal force instantly in your browser — the published formula, worked locally with no data sent anywhere. Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
How to use the Centripetal Force Calculator
- Enter or select mass (kg).
- Enter or select speed (m/s).
- Enter or select radius of the circle (m).
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
centripetal acceleration a = v²/r toward the centre; the required inward force F = m × v²/r (equivalently m·ω²·r).
- mass
- Mass (kg)
- velocity
- Speed (m/s)
- radius
- Radius of the circle (m)
Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
Worked example
For centripetal force calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Mass (kg): 2; Speed (m/s): 5; Radius of the circle (m): 2.
Inputs
- Mass (kg)2
- Speed (m/s)5
- Radius of the circle (m)2
Result
- Centripetal force (N)25
- Centripetal acceleration (m/s²)12.5
- Acceleration in g1.27
- Time for one revolution (s)2.51
Results explained
- Centripetal force (N)
- Centripetal force (N) from the formula above. Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
- Centripetal acceleration (m/s²)
- Centripetal acceleration (m/s²) from the formula above. Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
- Acceleration in g
- Acceleration in g from the formula above. Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
- Time for one revolution (s)
- Time for one revolution (s) from the formula above. Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
Frequently asked questions
centripetal acceleration a = v²/r toward the centre; the required inward force F = m × v²/r (equivalently m·ω²·r).
Uniform circular motion at constant speed. 'Centripetal' names the direction of the net force (supplied by tension, friction, gravity or a wall), not an extra force of its own.
Every field is labelled with its unit — enter values in exactly the labelled unit and read the result in the labelled output unit. Fields with a unit symbol also support the site-wide imperial/metric switch, which converts before the formula runs.
It uses double-precision arithmetic and the published constants and formulas named on this page. The last displayed digit may be rounded, and real conditions can differ from the idealized model described in the assumptions.
Yes. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is uploaded, stored or shared.