Calculating Car Speed: Using Skid Marks and Friction Coefficient

  • Thread starter Thread starter TriumphDog1
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Explanation
AI Thread Summary
To estimate the initial speed of a car based on skid marks and friction, the problem uses kinematics and Newton's second law. The skid marks measured 81 meters, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.70. The only force acting on the car is friction, which can be expressed as F_k = μ_k mg. By applying Newton's second law and kinematic equations, the initial speed is calculated using the formula v_0 = √(2(μ_k g)(Δx)). The final result for the initial speed is 33.34 m/s.
TriumphDog1
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
ok, i have a problem and its answer, but I am not sure how to get the answer:
Police lieutenants, examining the scene of an accident involving two cars, measure the skid marks of one of the cars, which nearly came to a stop before colliding, to be 81 m long. The coefficient of kinetic friction between rubber and the pavement is about 0.70. Estimate the initial speed of that car assuming a level road.
the answer is 33.34.
I can't figure out how to get that answer.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Essentially, this is a problem with requires the use of kinematics and Newton's second law.
The only force acting on the car (neglecting things like drag) is the force of the friction, F_k
Now, we know that F_k = \mu _k N
Here, the normal force N = mg
Now, let us substitute N into F_k:
F_k = \mu _k mg
From Newton's second law we know that: F_{net} = ma
But since we know that the only force acting on the car is F_k, we can substitute F_k for F_{net}. We get:
F_k = ma
\mu _k mg = ma
Canceling the m-s out,
\mu _k g = a
Now, let us use kinematics equations:
v_f^2 = v_0^2 + 2a(\Delta x)
From which we get,
v_0 = \sqrt{2a(\Delta x) - v_f^2}
Substituting for a
v_0 = \sqrt{2(mu _k g)(\Delta x) - v_f^2}
Substituting our givens,
v_0 = \sqrt{2(0.70)(9.81)(81) - 0}
v_0 = 33.34
QDE

Hope this helped.
 
Last edited:
yes thank you.
 
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
Back
Top