Pseudo Forces

Concept Card: Centrifugal Force & Pseudo Forces in Rotating Frames 1. Non-Inertial Frames & Origin of Pseudo Forces: In an inertial reference frame, Newton’s Second Law applies directly ($\sum \vec{F}_{\text{real}} = m\vec{a}$). In a non-inertial reference frame translating with acceleration $\vec{a}_0$, an observer must introduce a fictitious (pseudo) force to apply Newton’s laws: $$\vec{F}_{\text{pseudo}} = … Read more