When going around a roundabout, why do I feel a force pulling me outwards?

The force pulling you outwards is what is called fictional force. Actually, there is a force pulling the car inwards and since Newton's Laws mean that you want to keep moving forwards rather than going around the bend, it feels as though you are being thrown outwards. You might then ask what is causing the inward force that acts on the car. There must be a force to make the velocity of the car change direction (around the curve). This is called the centripetal force and it is key to circular motion. In the case of the car, this force is provided by the friction between the car tires and the road. But if you swung a pendulum around your head, it would be provided by the tension in the string.

JC
Answered by Jasmine C. Physics tutor

7097 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between Speed, Velocity and Acceleration?


A bat emits a sound wave with a frequency of 25.0 kHz and a wavelength of 0.0136 metres. Calculate the speed of this sound wave.


A 2 kW electric fire is switched on for 30 minutes. How many Units of electricity does it use?


What is the life cycle of a star?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning