Cue Column:

• Which is real?
• Which frame?
• JEE preference?

Notes: Centripetal force is a real force (or the net radial component of real forces) directed toward the centre. It is not a separate force — it is provided by tension, gravity, normal force, friction, or their combination.

Centrifugal force is a pseudo (fictitious) force that appears only in the rotating (non-inertial) reference frame. It equals m*$omega^2$*r directed outward. It is NOT real.

JEE approach: Always work in the inertial (ground) frame. Set the net radial component of all real forces equal to $mv^2$/r. Never add centrifugal force in the inertial frame.

Summary: In the ground frame, there is no outward force. The body would fly off tangentially (not radially outward) if the centripetal force were removed.