Find drag given reference area and speed

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SUMMARY

The drag force on a car measuring 1.6 m in width and 1.4 m in height traveling at a speed of 30 m/s can be calculated using the formula: drag force = 0.5 * p * v^2 * coefficient of drag * A. In this case, the air density (p) is assumed to be 1.2 kg/m³, the drag coefficient is taken as 0.25, and the reference area (A) is calculated as 1.6 m * 1.4 m. The resulting drag force calculation is based on these parameters, with a noted confusion regarding the use of speed in both m/s and mph.

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Homework Statement



What is the drag force on a 1.6 m wide, 1.4 m high car traveling at 30 m/s (approx 65 mph)?


Homework Equations



drag force=.5*p*v^2*coefficient of drag*A

The Attempt at a Solution


density of air depends on temp but that's not given so I used a density of 1.2 assuming there is a range of answers for this question. The drag coefficient for a car varies I used .25
I tried using the speed as m/s and mph in the equation. Reference area = 1.6*1.4

drag force=.5*1.2*484*.25*2.24
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Where did the 484 come from?
Why would you use mph when your other units are SI?
The drag coefficient for cars vary all over the place depending on design.
 

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