Banked roads -- circular motion and gravitation

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the coefficient of static friction required for a car to avoid skidding on a banked curve. The problem involves a curve with a radius of 88m and speeds of 75 km/h and 95 km/h. Participants work through the equations of motion, including centripetal force and the relationship between normal force and friction. After several iterations and corrections, the final coefficient of static friction is determined to be approximately 0.22. The conversation highlights the importance of correctly isolating variables and applying trigonometric identities in physics problems.
MPat
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Homework Statement


If a curve with a radius of 88m is perfectly banked for a car traveling at 75km/h, what must be the coefficient of static friction for a car not to skid when traveling at 95 km/hr

75km/h = 20.8m/s
95km/h = 26.4m/s

Homework Equations


Fr=mv^2/r
Fr=centripetal force
m = mass
r = radius
v = velocity
Fn= normal force
Ffr= force of friction (Us*Fn)
g = gravitational acceleration
Us = coefficient of static friction

The Attempt at a Solution


Horizontal component
sinθFn=mv^2/r Eq 1

Vertical component
cosθFn=mg
Fn=mg/cosθ Eq 2

Sub eq 2 into 1

sinθ (mg/cosθ) = mv^2/r (sinθ/cosθ = tanθ)
tanθ mg = mv^2/r
m cancels out
tanθ = v^2/gr
θ = arctan 20.8^2/9.8*88
θ = 26.6 degrees

Am I right up to there?

Now for the second part of the question. Solving for Us.

See diagram for force of friction and horizontal and vertical components
Vertical component
cosθFn - sinθFfr - mg = 0 ( there is no vertical displacement)
Solve for Fn
Fn= (sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ
Horizontal component
sinθFn + cosθFfr = mv^2/r
Sub Fn from above

sinθ ((sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ) + cosθFfr = mv^2/r

From here I am unable to isolate Ffr, or cancel out the mass... Help!
 

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Without going through your whole solution, one thing I noticed is that when you solve for Fn, you divided mg by cosθ, but you forgot to divide the first term by cosθ.

EDIT: Also, I don't know why you are not able to isolate Ffr.
 
TomHart said:
Without going through your whole solution, one thing I noticed is that when you solve for Fn, you divided mg by cosθ, but you forgot to divide the first term by cosθ.

EDIT: Also, I don't know why you are not able to isolate Ffr.
Under vertical component?

Vertical component
cosθFn=mg
Fn=mg/cosθ Eq 2

I divide both sides by cosθ here on the left side cosθ cancels out and on the right it becomes mg/cosθ

Is this what you were referring to?
 
MPat said:
cosθFn - sinθFfr - mg = 0 ( there is no vertical displacement)
Solve for Fn
Fn= sinθFfr + mg/cosθ

Should be:
cosθFn - sinθFfr - mg = 0
cosθFn = sinθFfr + mg
cosθFn/cosθ = (sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ
Fn = sinθFfr/cosθ + mg/cosθ
 
TomHart said:
Should be:
cosθFn - sinθFfr - mg = 0
cosθFn = sinθFfr + mg
cosθFn/cosθ = (sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ
Fn = sinθFfr/cosθ + mg/cosθ

Ok that correcting that I get the following
sinθ (sinθFfr/cosθ + mg/cosθ) + cosθFfr = mv^2/r
=sinθtanθFfr + tanθmg + cosθFfr = mv^2/r
= Ffr(sinθtanθ + cosθ) + tanθmg = mv^2/r
Ffr = (mv^2/r - tanθmg)/(sinθtanθ+cosθ)

Even if I isolate Ffr here, m is unknown and I haven't been able to cancel it out...
 
MPat, I see your point. And I wish I had time right now to sort this out, but I have to leave right now. I worked out the problem and, as expected, the mass does cancel out at some point. But I don't have time to compare my solution with yours. I will try to look at it later on tonight. But hopefully, someone will beat me to it.
 
TomHart said:
MPat, I see your point. And I wish I had time right now to sort this out, but I have to leave right now. I worked out the problem and, as expected, the mass does cancel out at some point. But I don't have time to compare my solution with yours. I will try to look at it later on tonight. But hopefully, someone will beat me to it.
Thanks for your help! Much appreciated.
 
$$F_n\cos \theta-F_{fr}\sin \theta=mg\tag{1}$$
$$F_n\sin \theta+F_{fr}\cos \theta = m\frac{v^2}{r}\tag{2}$$
Multiply Eqn. 1 by ##\cos \theta## and Eqn. 2 by ##\sin \theta##. Then add them together. What do you get?

Multiply Eqn. 2 by ##\cos \theta## and Eqn. 1 by ##\sin \theta##. Then subtract the result from Eqn. 1 from the result from Eqn. 2. What do you get?
 
MPat said:
Solve for Fn
Fn= (sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ
Horizontal component
sinθFn + cosθFfr = mv^2/r
Sub Fn from above

sinθ ((sinθFfr + mg)/cosθ) + cosθFfr = mv^2/r

MPat, I think your problem starts when you "solve for Fn". Mathematically, you did it right. But you really still have another Fn term on the right-hand side of that equation because the friction force Ffr is proportional to the normal force Fn. You should make that substitution BEFORE you solve for Fn.
 
  • #10
@MPat
If you had followed the simple linear equation elimination approach I indicated in post #8, you would have immediately obtained:
$$F_n=mg\cos \theta+m\frac{v^2}{r}\sin \theta$$
$$F_{fr}=m\frac{v^2}{r}\cos \theta-mg\sin \theta$$
 
  • #11
Chestermiller said:
@MPat
If you had followed the simple linear equation elimination approach I indicated in post #8, you would have immediately obtained:
$$F_n=mg\cos \theta+m\frac{v^2}{r}\sin \theta$$
$$F_{fr}=m\frac{v^2}{r}\cos \theta-mg\sin \theta$$
GOT IT!...answer is Us = 0.22
 
  • #12
MPat said:
GOT IT!...answer is Us = 0.22
I confirm that (0.216).
 
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