Change of speed of a car turning in circles

In summary, the textbook says that the friction force on a car turning a corner does no work, but this is not entirely true. There is another component of friction in play, which causes the car to move along a circle.
  • #1
alingy1
325
0
My textbook says : "The friction force on a car turning a corner does no work."

I agree somewhat. However, if there is no work, there is no change of speed, aka no change of kinetic energy.

How can a car in a real-life stop if it is doing perfect circles with forces pointing towards the center of those circles?

Is there another component of friction in play?
 
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  • #2
I forgot to mention: I imply that the car driver is neither pushing the gas pedal nor the brakes!
 
  • #3
alingy1 said:
My textbook says : "The friction force on a car turning a corner does no work."

I agree somewhat. However, if there is no work, there is no change of speed, aka no change of kinetic energy.

How can a car in a real-life stop if it is doing perfect circles with forces pointing towards the center of those circles?

Is there another component of friction in play?

Yes...There has to be a component of friction in tangential direction providing the required deceleration (i.e causing the speed to reduce ) .
 
  • #4
alingy1 said:
My textbook says : "The friction force on a car turning a corner does no work."

I agree somewhat. However, if there is no work, there is no change of speed, aka no change of kinetic energy.

How can a car in a real-life stop if it is doing perfect circles with forces pointing towards the center of those circles?

Is there another component of friction in play?

The car does not stop when turning a corner - it moves along a circle.

Its velocity changes direction, but not magnitude. The speed stay constant.

When a car stops, some force is applied parallel to its velocity, opposite to it.

ehild
 
  • #5
Tania beating me again:biggrin:

ehild
 
  • #6
ehild said:
Tania beating me again:biggrin:

I saw you typing but didn’t notice you were replying to this thread :wink:
 

1. How does the speed of a car affect its turning radius?

The speed of a car affects its turning radius because the faster the car is moving, the wider the radius of the turn will be. This is because the car needs more time and distance to complete the turn at higher speeds.

2. Can changing the speed of a car while turning affect its stability?

Yes, changing the speed of a car while turning can affect its stability. If the car is going too fast, it may lose traction and slide out of control. On the other hand, if the car is going too slow, it may not have enough momentum to complete the turn and may come to a stop.

3. Does the weight of a car impact its turning speed?

Yes, the weight of a car can impact its turning speed. A heavier car will require more force to turn and will have a wider turning radius compared to a lighter car.

4. What is the relationship between the turning speed and the centripetal force on a car?

The centripetal force on a car is directly proportional to its turning speed. This means that as the turning speed increases, the centripetal force also increases. This force is what keeps the car moving in a circular path.

5. How does the radius of a turn affect the speed of a car?

The radius of a turn has an inverse relationship with the speed of a car. This means that as the radius decreases, the speed must increase to maintain the same centripetal force. Conversely, a larger turning radius allows the car to maintain a lower speed while still completing the turn.

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