Centripetal acceleration points inward

01
The tempting model
Drawing a “centrifugal” force outward on a body in circular motion.
02
Why it feels right
You feel flung outward in a turning car, so it seems a force pushes out.
03
Where it breaks · how to catch it
Your free-body diagram has a net outward arrow for something moving in a circle.
04
The correct model
The net force is centripetal — inward — supplying a = v²/r. The outward 'feeling' is inertia in a rotating frame, not a real force in the ground frame.
05
Repair · see it, then test it
worked example What real force keeps a car turning on a flat road?
Tempting move
An outward centrifugal force balanced by friction.
Correct move
Inward static friction alone; it is the centripetal force.
Test the repair NL-05 · transfer

A moon moves clockwise around a planet. At the top of its orbit, the net force on the moon points:
Left, along its velocity Up, away from the planet Down, toward the planet Right, along its velocity

Make a fresh prediction before referring to the worked example.
Then practise it on the ladder
R7Circular motion: force directionadds: Uniform circular motion has inward acceleration even at constant speed.R14Banked curve speed regimesadds: Static friction direction on a banked curve depends on impending slipping.