In: Physics
Explain why centrifugal force is a false (pseudo) force.
here,
being in a merry go round, there is no way to tell that you are rotating yourself, i.e. you base your observation with the assumption that you are stationary in your frame, which is inside the merry go round. Hence all you see observe that you are mysteriously pushed outwards (when you actually shouldn't, in your reference frame). To explain your observation, you hence attribute a force called the "centrifugal force".
Now another person, standing in the park observing the merry go round rotating, isn't amused a bit by this pushing "outwards". He can very well explain this phenomenon by stating the centripetal force of the merry go round due to it's rotation, which keeps you in circular motion, instead of you flinging out in a linear direction.
The force described by the person standing in the park, i.e. "centripetal force" is real because he can explain it's cause (i.e. the rotation of the merry go round).
On the other hand, for you this "centrifugal force" is absolutely required to explain your dilemma, but you have no idea why this is caused. Hence this force isn't real and called Pseudo force