Question

The center of mass of a 1600 kg car is midway between the wheels and 0.7 m above the ground. The wheels are 2.6 m apart. (a) What is the minimum acceleration A of the car so that the front wheels just begin to lift off the ground

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

I guess we are ASSUMING that this is a rear wheel drive car as a front wheel drive car will never get the front wheel normal force to zero

If we consider it as a statics problem and choose our moment center carefully...say 0.7 m above the rear wheel to ground contact point.

Call the traction force at the rear wheels F

The normal force on the front wheels will be zero, so no moment generated by the front wheels.

Summing moments about our chosen point to zero

1600(9.8)[2.6 / 2] - F[0.7] = 0

F = 291,200

this force will create an acceleration of

a = F/m

a = 291200/1600

a = 182 m/s²

which is about 18.6 times gravity acceleration