http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/cf.html In the first picture, the radius of the turn is much smaller. In the second picture, the radius is evidently larger than that of the first picture. If in both scenarios the cars have the same mass and velocity, the smaller radius would require a much stronger force in order to follow the circular path safely. In the equation Fc= mv^2/r, it can be seen that if a larger radius is put into it, it will show that a smaller amount of force is needed to follow the circular path. In addition, the equation shows that the radius is inversely proportional to the centripetal force, which means that the bigger the force, the less the radius is. Therefore, making the radius bigger in the second scenario made the turn much safer as a much less force is needed for a car to follow circular motion.
This centripetal force is provided by the frictional force on the car by the road. If this force is larger than that of the frictional force, the car will release from its circular path and skid out of control. This becomes especially dangerous during cold weather conditions. If there is ice on the road, the frictional force between ice and the tires of the car is very little compared to the frictional force between the car and dry asphalt. If anything can be learned from this example, it is that a larger radius on a turn will create a much safer path for the car to follow.
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AuthorSami Khleifat: Junior studying AP Physics 1 at the Flint Hill School Archives |