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Cars Traveling Around A Banked Curve : W/ Friction
Cars Traveling Around A Banked Curve : W/ Friction
Ex.
Find the maximum speed a car of mass m traveling along a banked curve (whose path is the
shape of a circle of radius r) can have in order to make the curve without sliding up the incline.
Nx
N
Ny
N y N cos
fx
f x f s cos s N cos
fy
fs
v2
r
N x N sin
ar
or
ar
f y f s sin s N sin
Determine the motion in each direction using Newtons 2nd law and the force diagram.
Fx mar
Fy 0
N x f x mar
N y W f y 0
Substitute & solve for the Normal Force from the y component:
v2
N cos mg s N sin 0
N sin s N cos m
r
v2
N sin s cos m
r
N cos s sin mg
mg
cos s sin
Substitute the expression for the Normal force into the x component equation and solve for v:
v2
mg
m
sin
cos
s
r
cos s sin
v 2 g sin s cos
cos s sin
r
vmax
gr sin s cos
cos s sin
v2
s
gr
tan 2
v
1 s
gr
* There is also a minimum speed the car must have when you include friction or
it will start to slide down the incline.
For this scenario, the potential motion is down the incline. This means the static friction force
points up the incline.
Ex.
Find the minimum speed a car traveling along a banked curve (whose path is the shape of a
circle) can have in order to make the curve without sliding down the incline.
Nx
N
fx
Ny
fs
fy
ar
v2
r
N x N sin
ar
N y N cos
or
f x f s cos s N cos
f y f s sin s N sin
Determine the motion in each direction using Newtons 2nd law and the force diagram.
Fx mar
Fy 0
N x f x mar
N y W f y 0
Substitute & solve for the Normal Force from the y component:
v2
N cos mg s N sin 0
N sin s N cos m
r
v2
N sin s cos m
r
N cos s sin mg
mg
cos s sin
Substitute the expression for the Normal force into the x component equation and solve for v:
v2
mg
sin s cos m
r
cos s sin
v 2 g sin s cos
r
cos s sin
vmin
gr sin s cos
cos s sin
If vcar < vmin, the car will slide down the incline
In terms of the angle:
v2
s
gr
tan 2
v
1 s
gr