Final answer:
You should use your brakes to slow down before entering a sharp curve to ensure that you can maintain control and not rely solely on tire friction. An ideally banked curve allows navigating at specific speeds without extra friction, but standard road curves require slower speeds for safe navigation. Understanding static versus kinetic friction helps smooth stops and prevents je-rks.
Step-by-step explanation:
On a sharp curve, you should use your brakes to slow your vehicle before you enter the curve. This is important for safety because tire friction enables a vehicle to take the curve better at lower speeds. When approaching an ideally banked curve, designed at a certain angle, a vehicle can navigate it at a specific speed without relying on additional friction. However, common road curves are not ideally banked, and lowering speed prevents reliance on tire friction alone, which can be overwhelmed by high speeds or poor road conditions.
Concerning the relationship between static and kinetic friction, one should let up slightly on the brake pedal as they come to a stop to avoid a je-rky halt. This is because static friction, which prevents sliding between two surfaces at rest, is generally stronger than kinetic friction, which occurs when surfaces slide against each other. Releasing the brake slightly before stopping transitions your vehicle from kinetic to static friction smoothly, avoiding a sharp, abrupt stop.