向心力是力学中的重要概念，本文通过分析三个不同的历史时期对于向心力的认识，清晰地展示出向心力概念伴随着人们对于运动学和动力学定律的理解，经历了曲折却又不断深入的历程. 我们展示了向心力作为一个桥梁概念，强调其在运动学向动力学的发展中起到的重要作用. 尤其从离心力到向心力概念的发展是革命性的突破，促进了惯性系下力学三大定律的建立，是牛顿发现万有引力定律的关键一步. 

Centripetal force is an important concept in mechanics. By considering the understanding of centripetal force in three different historical periods, this paper clearly shows that the centripetal force has undergone a tortuous but deepening process along with people^,s understanding of basic motion and mechanical laws. It is shown that the concept of centripetal force as a bridge emphasizes its important role in the development of kinematics to dynamics. In particular, the development of the concept of centrifugal force to centripetal force is a revolutionary breakthrough, which promotes the establishment of the three laws of mechanics under the inertial system, and is a key step for Newton to discover the law of universal gravitation.