Which term best describes forces that are not due to physical interactions but are considered in accelerating frames of reference?

The term that best describes forces that arise in accelerating frames of reference, but are not due to physical interactions, is "fictive forces." These forces are not the result of a direct physical influence but are perceived due to the motion of the observer's frame of reference. For example, when you are in a car that accelerates, you feel as if you are being pushed back against the seat; this sensation arises from the car's acceleration rather than a traditional force acting on you.

In accelerating frames, fictive forces help to account for the motion in a way that aligns with the principles of classical mechanics. They allow observers in non-inertial frames to apply Newton's laws as if they were in inertial frames by introducing these additional forces for convenience. Common examples include the centrifugal force you feel when making a sharp turn or the Coriolis effect experienced in rotating systems.

The other terms do not adequately describe the concept of forces that arise from the frame of reference. Inertial forces refer to the actual forces experienced by objects in an inertial frame, while non-inertial forces typically relate to the forces experienced in such frames, but this term does not specifically connote the absence of physical interaction like fictive forces do. Weightless