If I'm driving a car and I make a turn to the right, what will happen to a bag of items that is sitting next to me in the car-in terms of inertia, friction and centripetal force I think they will fall the opposite direction but we just started this unit and I don't what centripetal force is-it that like centrifugal force?
When you make a turn to the right while driving a car, several factors come into play that determine what will happen to the bag of items sitting next to you. Let's analyze these factors one by one.
1. Inertia: Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. If the bag of items is not secured or restrained in any way, it will want to continue moving in a straight line due to its inertia. As you turn the car to the right, the bag will try to maintain its forward motion, which means it will tend to move to the left.
2. Friction: Friction is the force that opposes the relative motion between two surfaces in contact. The bag of items will experience friction against the seat or any surfaces it is in contact with. The friction force should prevent the bag from moving too easily in response to the inertia, but it might also depend on the level of friction and the weight of the bag.
3. Centripetal Force: Centripetal force is the force that acts towards the center of a curved path or circle, keeping an object moving along that path. In this case, as you make a right turn, a centripetal force acts towards the center of the turn to keep the car and its contents moving along the curved path. The bag of items will also experience a centripetal force acting on it, but since it is not directly attached to the car, the effects of centripetal force on the bag may not be significant.
Now, to address your confusion about centripetal and centrifugal forces: Centripetal force is the force that acts towards the center, keeping an object moving in a curved path. On the other hand, centrifugal force is an apparent (pseudo) force that seems to act away from the center of a curved path but is actually just a result of inertia as the object tries to move in a straight line. These two forces are related, but they act in opposite directions. Centripetal force keeps objects moving inward, while centrifugal force seems to push objects outward.
In summary, due to inertia, the bag of items will tend to move to the left as you turn right. The frictional force will try to prevent the bag from moving easily, depending on various factors. The effects of centripetal force on the bag may not be significant since it is not directly attached to the car.