A pair of fuzzy dice is hanging from the rearview mirror of a race car. As the car accelerates smoothly, the strings of the dice are tilted slightly toward the rear of the car. From the perspective of the driver, which one of the following statements is true, if the dice are stationary?
To determine the correct statement from the driver's perspective, we need to analyze the physics behind this scenario. When the car accelerates smoothly, a pseudo-force called the "centrifugal force" acts on objects inside the car. This force appears to push objects away from the center of the circular path due to the car's acceleration.
In the case of the fuzzy dice, as the car accelerates, the strings of the dice will be tilted slightly toward the rear of the car from the driver's perspective. This happens because of the centrifugal force pushing the dice away from the center of the circular path, causing the strings to lean backward.
Therefore, the correct statement from the driver's perspective is that "the strings of the fuzzy dice are tilted toward the rear of the car."