Home / Topic / Centripetal force
Topic Centripetal force
Asked 2 times across 2 UPSC exams over 4 years (2011–2015), peaking in 2011.
Key insights
- Most tested in CSE — 1 of 2 PYQs
- Most asked in 2011
- Recurs across 2 years (2011–2015)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 2011 → CDS 2015
How the concept evolved
Largely a pre-2016 idea — watch for a comeback.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CDS2015
An electron and a proton are circulating with same speed in circular paths of equal radius. Which one among the following will happen, if the mass of a proton is about 2,000 times that of an electron ?
- A The centripetal force required by the electron is about 2,000 times more than that required by the proton
- B The centripetal force required by the proton is about 2,000 times more than that required by the electron ✓
- C No centripetal force is required for any charged particle
- D Equal centripetal force acts on both the particles as they rotate in the same circular path
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
CSE2011
An artificial satellite orbiting around the Earth does not fall down. This is so because the attraction of Earth:
- A does not exist at such distance
- B is neutralized by the attraction of the moon
- C provides the necessary speed for its steady motion
- D provides the necessary acceleration for its motion ✓
✓ Correct answer: (D)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
Study how UPSC repeats — not just the papers
₹199 / 1 year · Founding Member
Full access unlocks the three things no PYQ PDF gives you:
① Cross-exam learning — see the same idea recur across CSE, CAPF, CDS and NDA.
② Topic evolution — how each idea is framed, year by year.
③ Question intelligence — every PYQ + answer, linked to related concepts and similar questions.
e.g. Round Table Conference: CDS 2017 → CSE 2017 → … → CAPF 2024
15 days free, no card required — then ₹199 for 1 year.
Start your 15-day free trial →