# Centripetal Acceleration Problem

1. Nov 11, 2009

### Macroer

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

A 1000 kg car is travelling along a flat section of the highway at a speed of 90.0 km/h. The driver notices a
curve in the road ahead, with a radius of 150 m.
a) If the pavement is dry and the coefficient of friction between the car tires and the road is 0.820,
determine if the car can safely navigate the curve. (4 pts.) (Hint, use centripetal force, normal force and frictional force to
see if it is possible to overcome the centripetal force with the frictional force.)

2. Relevant equations
$$F_{f}$$=$$ma_{c}$$

3. The attempt at a solution
$$F_{f}$$=$$ma_{c}$$
umg=ma
(don't know where to go from there)

2. Nov 11, 2009

### ideasrule

Start by drawing a free-body diagram and writing out Newton's second law for both the x and y directions.

3. Nov 11, 2009

### Macroer

I uploaded the FBD

X direction:
Ff = ma

Y direction
Fnet=0;
Fg=Fn
Fn=mg

#### Attached Files:

• ###### FBD.JPG
File size:
2.9 KB
Views:
51
4. Nov 11, 2009

### ideasrule

Good. For the x direction, the maximum possible value of Ff is N*mu, and a=v^2/r (the centripetal acceleration).

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