How Do You Calculate Centripetal Acceleration and Friction for a Car on a Curve?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating centripetal acceleration and friction for a car rounding a curve. A 13,500 N car traveling at 50.0 km/h on a curve with a radius of 200 m requires the use of specific equations: centripetal acceleration (ac = vt²/r) and centripetal force (Fc = mv²/r). The calculated centripetal acceleration is 0.965 m/s², the force maintaining this acceleration is 1.34 x 10³ N, and the minimum coefficient of static friction necessary for safe navigation of the curve is 0.0985.

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  • Knowledge of gravitational force and its calculation
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
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chamonix
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Homework Statement


A 13500 N car traveling at 50.0 km/h rounds a curve of radius 2.00x10^2 m. Find the following:
a). The centripetal acceleration of the car.
b). The force that maintains centripetal acceleration
c). the minmum coefficient of static friction between the tires and the road that will allow the car to round the curve safely.


Homework Equations


a). ac=vt^2/r
b) i think i would use: Fc=mvt^2/r but I am unsure.
c) i do not know this equation.

The Attempt at a Solution


For a). I have: 14^2/200=0.965
for b). I know the answer is 1.33x10^3 but I am still having difficulties trying to solve this.
for c) I know the answer is 0.0985 but I still have to figure out b). first. Please help me, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
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a) is correct
does the 13500 N car refer to its mass?
 
I think so...the question just states "a 13500 N car..." so I was thinking that F=ma so mass=13500/.965=13989.6. But I'm not for sure.
 
chamonix said:
I think so...the question just states "a 13500 N car..." so I was thinking that F=ma so mass=13500/.965=13989.6. But I'm not for sure.

13500 N is the weight of the car, in other words the gravitational force on it. To find the mass of the car, divide the weight by the acceleration of gravity, mass= 13500N/9.80m/s^2

Then multiply this mass by v^2 to find the centripetal acceleration
 
So the mass came out to be...1376.15 kg. Then I used the Fc=mv^2/r equation and got: 1348.63.
Then I use the equation Fc=mus*Fn. 1.34x10^3/9.8*1376.15=.0985.
 
Last edited:

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