Will the Cake Stay on the Car in the Rotary?

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving centripetal motion and friction. A scenario is presented where a cake is placed on top of a car as it navigates a rotary at a specified speed and radius, prompting questions about whether the cake will remain on the car under these conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the forces acting on the cake and the car, including the need for a free body diagram. Questions are raised about the relationship between the forces in the x and y directions and their connection to centripetal motion. There is also mention of calculating the maximum frictional force and comparing it to the required centripetal force.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants exploring different aspects of the problem. Some have provided insights into the necessary calculations and the conditions under which the cake would slip off. There is no explicit consensus, but various interpretations and approaches are being examined.

Contextual Notes

One participant notes that this problem was part of a test rather than a homework assignment, indicating a different context for the discussion. There is mention of specific values for speed, radius, and coefficient of friction, which are central to the problem but may require further clarification or assumptions.

shippage
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
A driver leaves a cake on top of his car and enters a rotary with a speed of 10 m/s. The rotary has a radius of 15 m and the coefficient of friction between the cake and the top of the car is 0.600u. Will the cake stay on top?

Can someone show both ways of doing this problem?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Draw a free body diagram. What forces are acting in the x and y directions? How does the force in the x-direction relate to centripetal motion?
 
This isn't a homoework problem fwiw, it was on a test. I solved it but wanted to know if I missed something and or the other way to do it.

Fnet=ma find acceleration then find acceleration of car in rotary. Ac in rotary > max a of cake. The cake then falls off.
 
The friction force between cake and roof will provide the centripetal acceleration necessary to keep the cake moving in a circle. Find the maximum frictional force, and if this is less than the centripetal force needed, then the cake will slip. I believe that in this case the coefficient would need to be at least 0.68
 

Similar threads

Replies
57
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K