Quick Answer: The Apparatus for Centrifugal Force demonstrates circular motion and shows how the force on a rotating mass depends on its mass, radius and angular speed.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
Rotating arm and platform with weights that can be set at different radii
Speed raised or lowered gradually to compare the outward effect
Mass and radius changed between runs for comparison
Covers centripetal force, centrifugal effect, angular velocity and rotational equilibrium
Technical Specifications
Specification
Value
Application
Circular motion, centrifugal force, centripetal force and rotational dynamics experiments
A mass is fixed at a chosen radius and the apparatus is started slowly, then the speed is increased step by step while students watch the effect on the rotating mass. Repeating with a different mass or radius shows how the force needed for circular motion depends on all three quantities. All moving parts must come to rest before weights or radius are changed.
