If centripetal acceleration is towards the center, then why – when you spin a bucket of water (a classic demonstration) – does the water not get pushed out but rather stays in the bucket without spilling?
[Physics] why does what get pushed away when centripetal acceleration is towards the center
centripetal-forcenewtonian-mechanicsrotation
Best Answer
Nothing gets "pushed away". Instead, if it was left to itself everything would fly off in a straight line (Newton's law, right?).
This is easy to see if you are, say, hovering over the playground in a helicopter watching children fly off the merry-go-'round.
I did a sketch. The dark haired kid is holding on; he goes in a circle. The blond it not; he moves at a constant velocity.
Remember that acceleration in a change in velocity and that velocity means both speed and direction.
So, the key question is why does it look like they are getting "pushed away"? The answer is that when you see that happening you are getting pushed toward the center (that's the centripetal force). You are accelerating, while they maintain a constant speed and direction, but they certainly end up a long way away from you.