View Full Version : Help with a homework question
saikamaniac
Jul17-07, 04:23 AM
Friction provides the centripetal force necessary for a car to reval around a circular flat racetrack. What ios the maximum speed at which a car can travel safely around a track of radius 80m if the coefficient of friction between the tyres and road is 0.3?
I really have no idea how to attempt this question...
HallsofIvy
Jul17-07, 06:05 AM
Do you know how to calculate the "centrifugal force" on the car? The friction force, equal to 0.3 times the weight of the car, must be equal to that.
saikamaniac
Jul17-07, 06:42 AM
well the centrifugal force is just equal but opposite to the centripetal force
which i don't know...and i dont know the MASS of the car and thus cant calculate the weight
GoldPheonix
Jul17-07, 09:42 AM
A common thing for people who are just starting physics is to forget that, often times, mass is irrelevant to finding a solution.
The centrifugal forces must equal friction, correct? What do you do when two equations equal each other?
Whenever I get stuck, I like to just starting writing off my known equations:
\Sigma F_c = m\frac{v^2_t}{r}
F_f = \mu m g
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