Force of friction on a curved road

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the total friction force exerted by the road on a car traveling on a curved road, specifically at points B and C. The analysis involves determining the linear and angular accelerations using the equations of motion and the relationship between friction force and acceleration. The minimum coefficient of static friction required for the car to complete the turn at point B is also a key point of discussion. The calculations utilize fundamental physics principles, including kinematic equations and vector force analysis.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with kinematic equations
  • Knowledge of friction force concepts
  • Basic principles of circular motion
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the minimum coefficient of static friction for curved motion
  • Learn about the relationship between tangential and normal components of friction
  • Explore advanced kinematic equations for rotational motion
  • Investigate vector addition of forces in physics problems
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, automotive engineers, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of vehicles on curved roads.

stunner5000pt
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Homework Statement



The mass m car is traveling at v on the straight portion of the road and then its speed is uniformly reduced from A to C, which point it comes to rest. Compute the magnitude and direction of the total friction force F exerted by the road on the car (a) just before it passes point B, (b)
just after it passes point B and (c) just before it stops at point C. (d) What is the minimum
coefficient of static friction required between the tires and the road for the car to be able to complete the turn at B?

2. The attempt at a solution

Part a - the force of friction as it approaches B
I thought about doing this in two steps:
If we assume that the force of friction is F_{f} then the linear acceleration in the straight part is a = \frac{F_{f}}{m}

so we can use a kinematic formula to determine the velocity at point B

v_{B}^2 = v^2 + 2a d
then
v_{B}^2 = v^2 - \frac{2 F_{f}}{m}

now for the curved section, assuming the road has radius R, the force stays constant, then we can say that the linear acceleration is the same as above. then the angular acceleration is \alpha = \frac{-F_{f}}{mr}

then we can use the rotational version of the above kinematic formula. the velocity at c is zero

0 = \omega_{B}^2 + 2 \left( \frac{-F_{f}}{mr} \right) \left( \frac{\pi}{6} \right)

we can solve for Vb from the above equation
v_{B} = \frac{\pi F_{f}}{3mr^3}

and then we can substitute the equation just derived into the other expression for vb found above. But is this correct?
What about the curved section? IN the curved section, does the sum of the components of friction (caused by the tangential and normal components) the same as the friction we just calculated? In that case, isn't the answer for b and c the same?

Thanks for your help and input!
 

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  1. Find the distance AC (as if it was a straight path);
  2. With your first equation of motion, find the acceleration between AC;
  3. You can then find the (constant) braking force, i.e. the longitudinal component of the friction force;
  4. With your first equation of motion, find the velocity at B;
  5. With the velocity at B, you can find the lateral acceleration at that point;
  6. With F=ma, you can then find the lateral friction force;
  7. Add the lateral and longitudinal components at each point (VC ≠ VB) to find the total force. HINT: Forces are vectors.
 

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