The maximum speed of a car on a circular race track is determined by the centripetal force, which is provided by friction. For a track with a radius of 80 meters and a coefficient of friction of 0.40, the formula to calculate the maximum speed is V = √(Force of friction × radius). The forces acting on the car include gravitational force, frictional force, lift, drag, and thrust. Understanding these forces is crucial for calculating the car's maximum speed while maintaining stability on the track.
PREREQUISITESAutomotive engineers, physics students, race car drivers, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of vehicles on circular tracks.
rock.freak667 said:It is traveling around a circle, so centripetal force comes into play. What provides the centripetal force?
lovemake1 said:ok. to start off this question.
you need to think of the equation and plot in the knowns.
what equation do you use in this case ? ( hint: Force equation)
now this is in a circular race track, so it must be a centripeteal force.
the ultimate question in this question is what really supplies the neccesary force for the car to stay on the track ?
let me know your progress.
alessandro said:the friction provides the force necessary right? But usually to find this force i need also the mass...
rock.freak667 said:No you do not need the mass, what is the normal reaction in this case equal to?
vela said:First, draw a free-body diagram of the car, and identify the forces on the car. Tell us what forces you think are on the car and which way they point.
You're still missing a force. If gravity pulls the car down, and there's no counteracting force, the car will accelerate downward (through the road), which doesn't happen, so there must be another force on the car that balances the car's weight. What is that force and which way does it point?alessandro said:the forces are the gravitational force which points downward, friction force which acts in opposite direction of the car.
that frictional force point downward ?vela said:You're still missing a force. If gravity pulls the car down, and there's no counteracting force, the car will accelerate downward (through the road), which doesn't happen, so there must be another force on the car that balances the car's weight. What is that force and which way does it point?
Also, for simplicity, you can assume that the car isn't speeding up or slowing down, so there's no frictional force parallel to the velocity of the car, but there is still another frictional force, the one that keeps the car from sliding off the curve. Which direction does that frictional force point?
alessandro said:that frictional force point downward ?