Ford F150 Tow Hooks: 10G's of Force?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the centripetal force experienced by the tow hooks of a Ford F150 as depicted in a commercial, specifically questioning the accuracy of the stated force of 6g's compared to a calculated force of approximately 10g's based on observed parameters.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant calculates the centripetal acceleration of the Ford F150 based on a period of 1.80 seconds and a radius of 25 feet, concluding an acceleration of 96 m/s², which equates to about 10g's.
  • Another participant suggests that the commercial may not accurately represent real-life physics, implying that the depiction of the truck being spun around is likely edited and not a true demonstration.
  • A third participant humorously comments on the reliability of information presented in commercials.
  • A fourth participant references a behind-the-scenes look at the commercial, indicating that the vehicle may have been moving faster than it appeared, but acknowledges it was an actual demonstration.
  • One participant proposes that the force experienced might be distributed across the two tow hooks, potentially affecting the overall force experienced by each hook.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the accuracy of the commercial's representation of physics, with some questioning the validity of the 6g's claim and others suggesting that the commercial may not reflect real-world conditions. There is no consensus on the interpretation of the forces involved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the radius and period of the truck's motion, as well as the potential effects of editing in the commercial. The calculations and interpretations of forces are based on the provided parameters, but the actual conditions of the demonstration remain uncertain.

platina
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In the Ford F150 commerical that debuted during the Superbowl (), Ford says that it subejcted the tow hooks on the truck to 6g's of force.

I timed the period of the truck during the portion in which the narrator is visible on the screen and got 1.80 seconds roughly.

I read online that the truck was swung in a 50 foot circle (http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=53067&format=html)

If I use a radius of 25 feet (7.62 meters) for the circle and a period of 1.80 seconds and use v=2(pi)(r)/T I find that the truck goes approximately 27 m/s (60 mph as the article claims).

If I then use a = v^2/r to get the centripetal acceleration, I find that the acceleration is 96 m/s^2.

96 m/s^s is more like 10g's, not 6 g's. Am I doing something wrong?
 
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Yes you are trying to relate real life physics to TV. Most likely it was not actually spun around as in the commercial. That is just a good editing team. Let's face it that would be very expensive to build, run, and dismantle. So no your math and physics are not wrong. The commercial is.
 
Doh! You saw it on TV, it must be true!
 
F-150 centrifuge

check it out
http://www.fordvehicles.com/f150behindthescenes/
It looks like the vehicle was moving faster in the commercial than it appeared in the video of the commercial being taped.
It was an actual demonstration, however. It beats last year's big commercial, which was an F-150 crashing through a giant birthday cake...
 
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Maybe because the force was spread out over the 2 tow hooks?
 

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