Question

The force needed to keep a car from skidding on a curve varies inversely as the radius of the curve and jointly as the weight of the car and the square of the car's speed. Suppose that 640 pounds of force keeps a 2600-pound car from skidding on a curve of radius 650 ft at 40 mph. . What force would keep the same car from skidding on a curve of radius 750 ft at 30 mph?

Answer 1

Explanation:

It is given that, the force needed to keep a car from skidding on a curve varies inversely as the radius of the curve and jointly as the weight of the car and the square of the car's speed such that,

$F\propto \dfrac{mgv^2}{r}$

$F=\dfrac{kmgv^2}{r}$

mg is the weight of the car

r is the radius of the curve

v is the speed of the car

Case 1.

F = 640 pounds

Weight of the car, W = mg = 2600 pound

Radius of the curve, r = 650 ft

Speed of the car, v = 40 mph

$640=\dfrac{k(2600)(40)^2}{650}$

k = 0.1

Case 2.

Radius of the curve, r = 750 ft

Speed of the car, v = 30 mph

$F=\dfrac{0.1\times 2600\times (30)^2}{750}$

F = 312 N

Hence, this is the required solution.