Calculating your centripetal force is straightforward once you know the Centripetal Force formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Centripetal Force Calculator.
What is Centripetal Force?
The Centripetal Force calculation tells you your centripetal force from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the centripetal force.
The Centripetal Force formula
The core formula is:
Centripetal force = Mass × Speed ^ 2 ÷ RadiusHere is what each input means:
- Mass — a value measured in kg. Example: 2 kg.
- Speed — a value measured in m/s. Example: 5 m/s.
- Radius — a value measured in m. Example: 3 m.
How to calculate it step by step
- Write down the mass (for example, 2 kg).
- Write down the speed (for example, 5 m/s).
- Write down the radius (for example, 3 m).
- Apply the formula above to get your centripetal force.
- Double-check the result with the Centripetal Force Calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1
| Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2 kg |
| Speed | 5 m/s |
| Radius | 3 m |
| Centripetal force | 16.6667 |
With mass of 2 kg, speed of 5 m/s and radius of 3 m, the centripetal force works out to 16.6667.
Example 2
With mass of 4 kg, speed of 5 m/s and radius of 3 m, the centripetal force works out to 33.3333.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Centripetal force | 33.3333 |
Example 3
With mass of 1 kg, speed of 5 m/s and radius of 3 m, the centripetal force works out to 8.3333.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Centripetal force | 8.3333 |
Tips for an accurate result
- Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
- Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
- Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Centripetal Force Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.
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