How Does F=ma Explain Engine Power and Weight in Racing Cars?

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roxas
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explain the following in f=ma
a)a racing car has a powerful engine and is made of storng but light weight material

b)a car with a small engine can still accelerate rapidly

please help me i need model answers thanks soooooo much:biggrin: :cry: :biggrin:
 
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Welcome to PF, Roxas. In any vehicle, your acceleration depends upon 3 factors primarily. One is the power-to-weight ratio, the second is how effectively that power is applied to the road, and the third is aerodynamic drag on the vehicle. For engines built to the same specifications, a bigger one will always have more power than a little one. You will also have better acceleration from a rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive than you will from a backwards car because of weight transfer to the drive wheels.
 
my homework question says it has to be explained in f=ma, like how am i supposed to do that??:confused: :cry: :confused: :cry: :confused: :cry: :confused: :cry: :confused: :cry: :confused: :cry:
 
Well, to start with, homework questions don't belong here. This should be posted in the homework section of the forum. Secondly, I'm a practical guy, not a mathematical one, so I can't answer you in those terms. Third, whining won't help. Good luck with it, though.
 
i forgot...thats why i apologised to the mods in the second post
 
No prob. I got to get back to bed now; I was just up for a midnight snack and the wife has noticed my absence. Catch you later. :smile:
 
H3LP ME! MY L1F3 SUX I AM 3M0 PL3AS3 TE11 M3 THE AN5W3R T0 THAT QU35T10N PL3AS3 PL3ASE ANIB0DY PLEASE! . THX =) my exam is next week=(
 
OK, in terms of F=ma, acc depends of Force and mass

a = F/m

So a big heavy engine which can provide a large driving force, might also have a large mass, which would lmit the acceleration.

the smaller lighter engine, although it can't provide the same force, doesn't have the mass either so can still produce a reasonable acceleration. It's the ratio between the force and mass you need to think about for acceleration
 
edit: my sos message was posted at the same time as yours. thanks soo much
 
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edit: oops my com crapped up and i accidentally double posted .
 
And please, please don't ever post in whatever that style was again. It's incredibly irritating. Proper English (or as close as one can get to it if it's not his/her first language) is the acceptable form here. This is not a scolding... just pointing something out. :smile: