Explore centrifugal force : definition, principles, and real-world examples. Compare it with centripetal force to understand motion and daily applications. Centrifugal Force - When a body of mass rotates about an axis it exerts an outward radial force called centrifugal force upon the axis or any arm or cord from the axis that restrains it from moving in a straight (tangential) line. Centrifugal Force – A Pseudo Force Let us consider a merry-go-round, capable of revolving in a horizontal plane, to be at rest. A person is sitting in that merry-go-round and has a stone in his hand. When the merry-go-round begins to revolve with uniform angular velocity, the stone also begins revolving in a circular path along with the person [Fig.] The following two observers will describe the motion of the stone in two different ways. Observer standing on the surface of the earth at ... Centrifugal force , also known as a fictitious or pseudo force , is the force that appears to act on all objects when viewed from a rotating frame of reference.