Frictionless Bank: Normal Force vs. Weight

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the forces acting on a car navigating a frictionless banked curve, specifically focusing on the roles of normal force and weight in this context. Participants are exploring the mechanics of circular motion and the components of forces involved.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are questioning the roles of the normal force and weight, particularly the misconception that the horizontal component of weight could be responsible for holding the car in the curve. There are discussions about the nature of normal force in relation to the banked angle and its components.

Discussion Status

The conversation is actively exploring different interpretations of the forces at play. Some participants are clarifying the distinction between the vertical and horizontal components of the normal force, while others are emphasizing the importance of understanding the relationship between these forces in the context of circular motion.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating assumptions about the direction and components of forces, particularly in relation to the geometry of the banked curve and the nature of circular motion. There is an implicit challenge regarding the understanding of how these forces interact without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Rawr
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Which force is responsible for holding a car in a frictionless banked curve?

The answer is the horizontal component of the normal force. But could anyone explain why that is?

I thought it would be the horizontal component of the weight since normal force is vertical?
 
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Rawr said:
I thought it would be the horizontal component of the weight since normal force is vertical?
The weight acts vertically--it has no horizontal component. The normal force is perpendicular to the road surface; since the road is banked (at an angle) that normal force is not vertical.
 
This is a rotational velocity problem. There are two kinda 'normal' forces here. The real vertical normal force to resist gravity, and the horizontal force in the 'normal' directionto accelerate the object along a curve.
 
Last edited:
This is a problem involving circular motion and thus centripetal acceleration. There is only one normal force, which is perpendicular to the road surface. That normal force has vertical and horizontal components.
 

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