The curves on a race track are banked to make it easier for cars to go around the curves at high speed. Draw a free-body diagram of a car on a banked curve. From the motion diagram, find the direction of the acceleration
(a) What exerts the force in the direction of the acceleration?
(b) Can you have such a force without friction? (Explain.)
Please select the School Subject carefully so one of the teachers who teaches that subject will read your post and answer it. 11th grade is not the proper School Subject.
Sra
To draw a free-body diagram of a car on a banked curve, we need to consider the forces acting on the car. There are three main forces to consider: the gravitational force (mg) acting vertically downwards, the normal force (N) acting perpendicular to the surface of the curve, and the frictional force (f) acting horizontally towards the center of the curve.
(a) The force that exerts the acceleration towards the center of the curve is the frictional force (f). This force is responsible for providing the necessary centripetal force to keep the car moving in a circular path. Without this force, the car would move in a straight line tangent to the curve rather than following the curved path.
(b) No, you cannot have such a force without friction. The frictional force is essential to provide the necessary centripetal force for the car to maintain its circular path. Friction arises due to the interaction of two surfaces in contact, in this case, the tires of the car and the curved track. Without friction, there would be no horizontal force to counteract the tendency of the car to continue moving in a straight line, resulting in the car sliding off the track and losing control.
To summarize, the force in the direction of acceleration on a banked curve is the frictional force, which is crucial for keeping the car on the curved track. Friction is necessary to provide the centripetal force required for circular motion and prevent the car from skidding or sliding off the track.