The force required to keep an object in a circular motion is known as

Centripetal force is the inward force required to keep an object moving in a circular path. It acts toward the center of the circle and is necessary because objects in motion tend to move in straight lines (Newton's first law). Without centripetal force (provided by tension, gravity, friction, etc.), an object would fly off tangentially. Centrifugal force is a fictitious outward force observed in a rotating reference frame.