Percentage increase in resistance to motion

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the percentage increase in resistance to motion, particularly in the context of a car's movement and fuel consumption. The subject area involves concepts from physics related to forces and motion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of a percentage increase formula and question the calculations leading to a discrepancy between expected and actual results. There is a focus on the mathematical relationship between speed and resistance force.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered insights regarding the mathematical approach, specifically noting the importance of squaring values rather than taking square roots. The discussion reflects a mix of attempts to clarify the underlying physics and mathematical reasoning.

Contextual Notes

There is an acknowledgment of the complexity involved in understanding physics problems, particularly for those who may find the subject challenging. The original poster expresses frustration with their calculations, indicating a potential gap in understanding the relationship between speed and resistance.

greg_rack
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Homework Statement
The resistance to the motion of a car is directly proportional to the square of the speed of the car.
The car increases its speed by 20%.
What is the percentage increase in the resistance to the motion of the car?
Relevant Equations
Percentage increase;
So, I simply used the percentage increase formula for the resistance force, but what I come up with is a 9.5% increase, as opposed to the 44% it should be...
Here's my procedure:
IMG_4016.JPG
 
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It's the square, not the square root.
 
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willem2 said:
It's the square, not the square root.
What a fool! I'm Italian and understanding physics problems isn't always easy 😅... thank you!
 
The resistive force to the movement of your car (and fuel consumption) always grows more rapidly than the speed does.
If the car increases its speed by 20%, naturally the percentage increase in the resistance to its motion should be 44%.
 
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