Centrifugal force describes the sensation one has of being pushed outward when moving along a circular path. The feeling of being pushed outwards when speeding round a corner in a vehicle, or while riding on a merry-go-round, comes from your preference to move in a straight line. Isaac Newton showed that all objects have inertia and will either stay at rest, or move in a straight line, unless a force acts on them. When you move in a circle there is a force pulling on you, changing your direction from that of a straight line. This is centripetal force and pulls inwards. The feeling of the ‘outward pull’ of centrifugal force is just your natural resistance to this.
