Creative Commons License Copyright © Michael Richmond. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Centripetal force and uniform circular motion


Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker perform the death spiral at US Nationals in 2008. Image courtesy of Matthew Stockman - Getty Images

To see a death spiral in action, look at 12:05 into Miu Sukaki and Ryuichi Kihara from the 2018 Olympic Team Events




A common ride at some carnivals is called "The Cyclone": people walk into a cylindrical room and stand against the wall. The room starts to spin, and then the floor of the room drops away ... yet the people don't fall down. Instead, they remain in place, flat against the walls, feet no longer touching the floor.