What is the Centrifugal Force in a Circular Roadway?

In summary, Nobel laureate Arthur Holly Compton designed a speed bump to address the issue of speeding cars outside his workplace. The speed bump, known as the "Holly hump," was installed and featured a roadway following the arc of a circle with a radius of 21.4 m. If a 1 800-kg car passes over the hump at a speed of 28.5 km/h, the road exerts a force of 22911.6 N on the car at the highest point of the hump. However, when accounting for centrifugal force, the equation should also include N = mg - (mv^2)/R.
  • #1
JayHakimi1
9
0

Homework Statement


Disturbed by speeding cars outside his workplace, Nobel laureate Arthur Holly Compton designed a speed bump (called the "Holly hump") and had it installed. Suppose a 1 800-kg car passes over a hump in a roadway that follows the arc of a circle of radius 21.4 m as in the figure below.

(a) If the car travels at 28.5 km/h what force does the road exert on the car as the car passes the highest point of the hump?

Homework Equations



Normal Force - Weight = [mass(velocity^2)]/radius

The Attempt at a Solution



I used the equation above and converted the velocity to m/s which i got 7.9166

Then basically plug n chug.

My final answer was 22911.6 (sig figs doesn't matter here)

But when I submitted my answer it says my answer is off more than %10 of the actual answer.

Any suggestions?
 
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  • #2
Hi,
You should've included the centrifugle force, in your reference frame, in the following manner:
[itex]
\large
N-mg+F_c = 0 \Longrightarrow N = mg-\frac{mv^2}{R}
[/itex]
Try it,
Daniel
 

What is the circular velocity of a car?

The circular velocity of a car refers to the speed at which a car travels in a circular path. It is measured in units of distance per time, such as miles per hour or kilometers per hour.

How is the circular velocity of a car calculated?

The circular velocity of a car can be calculated using the formula v = rω, where v is the circular velocity, r is the radius of the circular path, and ω is the angular velocity of the car.

What factors affect the circular velocity of a car?

The circular velocity of a car is affected by the radius of the circular path, the mass of the car, and the angular velocity of the car. In addition, external factors such as friction, air resistance, and the condition of the road can also affect the circular velocity of a car.

Why is the circular velocity of a car important?

The circular velocity of a car is important because it helps determine the maximum speed at which a car can safely travel in a circular path without losing control or skidding. It is also important for understanding the dynamics of a car's motion and how different factors can affect its speed.

How does the circular velocity of a car differ from its linear velocity?

The circular velocity of a car is the speed at which it travels in a circular path, while its linear velocity is the speed at which it travels in a straight line. Unlike linear velocity, the circular velocity of a car is not constant and can change depending on the radius of the circular path and the angular velocity of the car.

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