Finding acceleration with circular motion

[David Mordigal]

Homework Statement

Entrance and exit ramps for freeways are often circular stretches of road. As you go around one at a constant speed, you will experience a constant acceleration. Suppose you drive through an entrance ramp at a modest speed and your acceleration is 2.0 m/s².

What will be the acceleration if you triple your speed?

Express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.

Homework Equations

a = v²/R

The Attempt at a Solution

Given that the initial acceleration is 2.0 m/s², and a = v²/R...

I am not sure where to get started. R is not given, and v is not given. I know how to find a theoretically, but since I do not have concrete values to start with besides acceleration, I do not know where to begin.

Thanks for any guidance.

 

[Chestermiller]

Try this with R = 50 m, and with whatever velocity you need to give you a = 2 m/s². Now, if you triple v, what do you get for a?

Chet

 

[Konoha]

You don't actually need any more information, as you wrote yourself in a circular motion a = v2/R. now imagine, R is constant (because you are in the same road), you triple the speed, what will happen to acceleration?

 

[David Mordigal]

OK, I got it. Thanks all for your help!