Radial & Tangential Acceleration of a Car at Indianapolis 500 | Physics Solution

AI Thread Summary
A car at the Indianapolis 500 accelerates uniformly from rest to 320 km/h in a semicircular arc with a radius of 200 m. The tangential acceleration was calculated as 6.288 m/s², but there was confusion regarding the radial acceleration, which should be determined using the velocity at the halfway point of the arc. The correct approach involves finding the velocity at the midpoint and then applying it to the formula for radial acceleration, Ac = v²/r. The discussion highlights the importance of using the correct velocity for accurate calculations. Understanding these principles is essential for solving similar physics problems effectively.
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Homework Statement



A car at the Indianapolis 500 accelerates uniformly from the pit area, going from rest to 320km/h in a semicircular arc with a radius of 200 m. Determine the tangential and radial acceleration of the car when it is halfway through the arc, assuming constant tangential acceleration. If the curve were flat, what coefficient of static friction would be necessary between the tires and the road to provide this acceleration with no slipping or skidding?



The attempt at a solution
I solved for tagental acceleration :
At= vf^2- Vo^2 /2d
= 88.8^2/2(pi * 200)
=6.288 m/s^2

For the radial acceleration is :
Ac= v^2/r
=88.8^2/200
=39.5 m/s^2
The correct answer is 19.75m/s^2
Why am I getting it wrong (the radial acceleration)? :/
88.8 is in m/s btw (from the 320 km/h)
 
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y90x said:
from the 320 km/h

y90x said:
from rest to 270 km h
?
 
haruspex said:
?

That first one was a typo , in the paper it says 320 km/h
 
y90x said:
when it is halfway through the arc
Did you read that correctly when you wrote:
y90x said:
Ac= v^2/r
=88.8^2/200
?
 
haruspex said:
Did you read that correctly when you wrote:

?

That would mean the 200 m changes to 100 m
And it’ll give me a higher number , 79.03 m/s^2
 
y90x said:
That would mean the 200 m changes to 100 m
No, the radius is 200m. But what velocity are you using in v2/r?
 
haruspex said:
No, the radius is 200m. But what velocity are you using in v2/r?

Ohh, that’s the final velocity when it’s at the end of the arc ? So I find the velocity when it’s halfway , then apply it in v^2/r
 
y90x said:
Ohh, that’s the final velocity when it’s at the end of the arc ? So I find the velocity when it’s halfway , then apply it in v^2/r
Yes.
 
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