What is the name of the force that acts toward the center of a circular path?

The force that acts toward the center of a circular path is called centripetal force. The word comes from Latin roots meaning “center-seeking.”

Centripetal force is not a separate fundamental force like gravity or magnetism. It is the name for the inward net force required to keep an object moving along a curved path. For uniform circular motion, its magnitude is F = mv²/r, where m is mass, v is speed, and r is the radius.

Different physical forces can supply it. Tension provides the centripetal force for a ball swung on a string, friction helps a car turn, and gravity keeps planets and satellites in orbit. Without an inward force, inertia would carry the object along a straight tangent.

Centripetal force is often confused with centrifugal force. In an inertial frame, centrifugal force is not an outward real force; it is an apparent force used in a rotating reference frame.