Answer:
21.8 m/s
Explanation:
At the top of the hill (crest), there are two forces acting on the motorcycle:
- The reaction force of the road, N (upward)
- The force of gravity, mg (downward)
Since the motorcycle is moving by circular motion, the resultant of these forces will give the centripetal force, so:
where the direction of the weight (mg) is equal to that of the centripetal force, and where
m is the mass of the cycle
g = 9.8 m/s^2 is the acceleration of gravity
v is the speed
r = 48.6 is the radius of the hill
The cycle loses contact with the road when the reaction force becomes zero:
N = 0
Substituting into the equation, we therefore find the maximum speed that is allowed for the cycle before losing constact: