How Does Normal Force Change as a Car Accelerates on a Banked Curve?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on how the normal force acting on a car changes as it accelerates on a banked curve. Initially, when the car is static, the normal force is less than the car's weight, with friction acting perpendicular to the car. As the car accelerates, the normal force increases until its vertical component, Ncos(∠), balances the weight (mg) of the car, while the horizontal component, Nsin(∠), provides the necessary centripetal force. The mechanism behind this change is the interaction between the car's wheels and the ground, which must exert an increasing normal force to facilitate the car's change in direction.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with the concepts of normal force and friction
  • Knowledge of centripetal force and its role in circular motion
  • Basic principles of banked curves in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the effects of friction on vehicles navigating banked curves
  • Explore the mathematical derivation of forces on a banked curve
  • Learn about the dynamics of circular motion in physics
  • Investigate real-world applications of banked curves in road design
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, automotive engineers, and anyone interested in the dynamics of vehicles on curved paths will benefit from this discussion.

Yh Hoo
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hello good morning. Let look at the two diagram.
(back view)

In STATIC, a car is remauning static at a bank curve and its force diagram is as follows. for this case, the normal force is smaller than the weight of the car and friction exists in the directiin perpendicular to car.

In MOTION, the car is moving into the screen and is surrounding a banked curve. now what i am so surprised with is that THE MECHANISM OF FORCE CHANGING. if we inspect a car changes it state from.diagram 1 to 2, we wil actually realize that the normal force gradually increases until its vertical component Ncos(∠) is equal to the mg and balances the weight of the car. meanwhile there is an unbalanced component that causes centripetal force ,Nsin(∠) . Can anyone explain to me the actual mechanism of this changes in normal force?? or correct me if i am wrong.
 

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Why did you not include the friction force in the "motion" diagram?

You mean you start with the car stationary on a banked curve and then it accelerates around the curve?
In order to accelerate the car must experience a net unbalanced force. The mechanism for this is the wheels contact with the ground. As it accelerates around the corner, it will have an increasing centripetal component - which comes from the reaction from the ground ... so the normal force must increase.

The mechanism is that the car has to push against the ground in order to change direction and the ground is fixed in place so it must push back - just the same as the normal force knows exactly how hard to push on the car in the stationary case.

Another way to think about this is to consider what would happen if the ground did not push hard enough against the car to make it turn.
 
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