Question

A 500kg car skids to a stop at a traffic light, leaving behind a 18.25m skid mark as it comes to a rest. Assuming that the car is travelling at 14.5m/s and only the friction from the tires on the roadway stop the vehicle. Find the coefficient of friction

Answer 1

Coefficient of friction will be 0.587

Step-by-step explanation:

We have given mass of the car m = 500 kg

Distance s = 18.25 m

Initial velocity of the car u = 14.5 m/sec

As the car finally stops so final velocity v = 0 m/sec

From second equation of motion

`v^2=u^2+2as`

`0^2=14.5^2+2* a* 18.25`

`a=-5.76m/sec^2`

We know that acceleration is given by

`a=\mu g`

`5.76=\mu*  9.81`

`\mu =0.587`

So coefficient of friction will be 0.587