Does Instant Deceleration Cause a Dragster to Exceed Its Top Speed?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of instant deceleration on a top fuel dragster's speed, specifically whether severing the drive train at high speed would cause the car to exceed its top speed due to momentum. Participants explore the nature of acceleration, momentum, and the physical sensations experienced by the driver during such a scenario.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that if the drive train is severed instantaneously, the dragster's acceleration would drop to zero very quickly, potentially leading to confusion about whether momentum could push the car past 300mph.
  • Others argue that once the driving force is removed, the car would no longer accelerate, and its velocity would become constant at that moment.
  • A few participants suggest that the change in acceleration from positive to zero would not be jarring, as it is akin to taking one's foot off the gas pedal, rather than experiencing deceleration.
  • Some express uncertainty about the implications of instant deceleration on the vehicle and occupant, questioning whether the absence of G-force would create stress similar to an instant application of acceleration.
  • One participant mentions that the drop in acceleration would create a wave through the vehicle, affecting its structure as it transitions from acceleration to zero.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the dragster would exceed 300mph due to momentum. There are competing views regarding the effects of instant deceleration and the sensations experienced by the driver, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of understanding of physics concepts, leading to differing interpretations of momentum and acceleration. Some statements reflect assumptions about the physical behavior of objects under rapid changes in force.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals curious about the physics of high-speed vehicles, the effects of acceleration and deceleration, and the implications of momentum in dynamic systems.

Brian LB
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If a top fuel dragster that can accelerate to 325mph in 5sec. in the quarter mile suddenly had its drive train precisely and instantaneously severed when the car reached 300mph would the momentum or the inertia of the rapid acceleration cause the car to exceed 300mph? If other words, would the negative acceleration be instantaneous or gradual?

Thank you for your responses.

Brian
 
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Brian LB said:
If a top fuel dragster that can accelerate to 325mph in 5sec. in the quarter mile suddenly had its drive train precisely and instantaneously severed when the car reached 300mph would the momentum or the inertia of the rapid acceleration cause the car to exceed 300mph? If other words, would the negative acceleration be instantaneous or gradual?

Thank you for your responses.

Brian

Force = mass * acceleration (F=ma)

As soon as you remove the driving force, you no longer accelerate (change velocity).
 
I see what you are asking. Yes, acceleration can drop to zero arbitrarily fast.

Pretend the dragster is able to accelerate so that its velocity is increasing by 1m/s every 1/100th of a second. (I just made this number up.)

You are able to sever the drive train in less than 1/100th of a second.

The dragster's acceleration will drop from (1/ms^-1)/(.01s) to 0 in that 1/100th of a second.
 
DaveC426913 said:
I see what you are asking. Yes, acceleration can drop to zero arbitrarily fast.

Pretend the dragster is able to accelerate so that its velocity is increasing by 1m/s every 1/100th of a second. (I just made this number up.)

You are able to sever the drive train in less than 1/100th of a second.

The dragster's acceleration will drop from (1/ms^-1)/(.01s) to 0 in that 1/100th of a second.

It is hard to imagine that momentum would not push the heavy dragster past 300mph. If this was drawn on a graph would it show an abrupt (almost eye popping) change of acceleration and G-force?
 
Brian LB said:
It is hard to imagine that momentum would not push the heavy dragster past 300mph. If this was drawn on a graph would it show an abrupt (almost eye popping) change of acceleration and G-force?

No. Momentum is simply given by the mass and velocity of an object, if the acceleration drops instantly, the velocity will become instantaneously constant.
 
Brian LB said:
It is hard to imagine that momentum would not push the heavy dragster past 300mph. If this was drawn on a graph would it show an abrupt (almost eye popping) change of acceleration and G-force?
Momentum does not push.
 
Brian LB said:
It is hard to imagine that momentum would not push the heavy dragster past 300mph. If this was drawn on a graph would it show an abrupt (almost eye popping) change of acceleration and G-force?

A change in acceleration from positive to zero does not cause any eye-popping. You are confusing a change in acceleration with a change in velocity.

Yes, a graph of this dragster's motion would show an instant drop from positive acceleration to zero acceleration.
 
Brian LB said:
It is hard to imagine that momentum would not push the heavy dragster past 300mph. If this was drawn on a graph would it show an abrupt (almost eye popping) change of acceleration and G-force?

Then there is something wrong with your internal model of what momentum is. The physical law is that constant motion continues unless acted on to change; it does not mean that all processes resist being changed. You said that you stop accelerating. That is taken at face value.
 
I want it to be known that I do not approach this question with a background in physics, which is probably apparent to many here. I am now convinced that acceleration can cease in a millisecond regardless of the weight involved… and momentum is inapplicable. What is still hard to conceive is that this instant lack of G-force is not jarring to the occupant or the vehicle. Imagine this same scenario happening to the space shuttle with ten times the acceleration; wouldn’t it create a great deal of stress? Is not the instant absence of acceleration [G-force] the inverse, or equal to, an instant application of acceleration [G's]?

Thanks again guys for the insightful responses.

Brian
 
  • #10
Brian LB said:
Imagine this same scenario happening to the space shuttle with ten times the acceleration; wouldn’t it create a great deal of stress? Is not the instant absence of acceleration [G-force] the inverse, or equal to, an instant application of acceleration [G's]?

Thanks again guys for the insightful responses.

Brian

Well, the drop in acceleration will travel through the vehicle as a wave. While it was under acceleration, the vehicle was compressed very slightly (since it is not perfectly rigid). When the acceleration drops to zero, the compression will rebound, the vehicle will expand to its unstressed length. This wave will travel back and forth along the length of the craft until it is dissipated.
 
  • #11
Brian LB said:
I want it to be known that I do not approach this question with a background in physics, which is probably apparent to many here. I am now convinced that acceleration can cease in a millisecond regardless of the weight involved… and momentum is inapplicable. What is still hard to conceive is that this instant lack of G-force is not jarring to the occupant or the vehicle. Imagine this same scenario happening to the space shuttle with ten times the acceleration; wouldn’t it create a great deal of stress? Is not the instant absence of acceleration [G-force] the inverse, or equal to, an instant application of acceleration [G's]?

Thanks again guys for the insightful responses.

Brian

I think it would help to consider that removing the drive train or whatever from an accelerating car is not too different from just taking your foot off the gas pedal.

The force you feel from acceleration is just the change in velocity. As soon as you stop accelerating velocity stops changing and so you feel nothing. This isn't the same as decelerating. Decelerating is also changing your velocity. If you were traveling at a high velocity and then slammed on the brakes, you would decelerate, and you would feel that also. When you let off the breaks you do not feel as if you are speeding up or anything, you just stop feeling a force.
 
  • #12
Brian LB said:
Is not the instant absence of acceleration [G-force] the inverse, or equal to, an instant application of acceleration [G's]?

In a word, no. Removal of force is not equal to the application of force in the opposite direction.
 

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