How Do You Calculate Centripetal Acceleration and Friction for a Car on a Curve?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating centripetal acceleration and friction for a car navigating a curve. The problem involves a car with a weight of 13500 N traveling at a speed of 50.0 km/h around a curve with a specified radius.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the equations relevant to centripetal acceleration and the forces involved. There is uncertainty regarding the interpretation of the car's weight and its relation to mass. Some participants attempt to derive mass from weight using gravitational acceleration, while others question the correctness of their calculations.

Discussion Status

The conversation includes attempts to clarify the relationship between weight and mass, as well as the application of formulas for centripetal force and friction. Some participants have provided calculations, but there is no explicit consensus on the methods or results, indicating ongoing exploration of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework assignment, which may limit the information available and the methods they can use. There is a focus on ensuring the calculations align with the physics principles involved.

chamonix
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Homework Statement


A 13500 N car traveling at 50.0 km/h rounds a curve of radius 2.00x10^2 m. Find the following:
a). The centripetal acceleration of the car.
b). The force that maintains centripetal acceleration
c). the minmum coefficient of static friction between the tires and the road that will allow the car to round the curve safely.


Homework Equations


a). ac=vt^2/r
b) i think i would use: Fc=mvt^2/r but I am unsure.
c) i do not know this equation.

The Attempt at a Solution


For a). I have: 14^2/200=0.965
for b). I know the answer is 1.33x10^3 but I am still having difficulties trying to solve this.
for c) I know the answer is 0.0985 but I still have to figure out b). first. Please help me, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
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a) is correct
does the 13500 N car refer to its mass?
 
I think so...the question just states "a 13500 N car..." so I was thinking that F=ma so mass=13500/.965=13989.6. But I'm not for sure.
 
chamonix said:
I think so...the question just states "a 13500 N car..." so I was thinking that F=ma so mass=13500/.965=13989.6. But I'm not for sure.

13500 N is the weight of the car, in other words the gravitational force on it. To find the mass of the car, divide the weight by the acceleration of gravity, mass= 13500N/9.80m/s^2

Then multiply this mass by v^2 to find the centripetal acceleration
 
So the mass came out to be...1376.15 kg. Then I used the Fc=mv^2/r equation and got: 1348.63.
Then I use the equation Fc=mus*Fn. 1.34x10^3/9.8*1376.15=.0985.
 
Last edited:

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