Final answer:
The horizontal thrust exerted on the wheels of a 1000 kg car traveling at 15 m/s around a 400 m radius circular track is 562.5 Newtons. This thrust is the centripetal force required to maintain the car's circular motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding the Horizontal Thrust on Car Wheels in Uniform Circular Motion
To find the horizontal thrust exerted on the wheels of a car travelling around a circular track, we can use the concept of centripetal force, which is the force required to keep an object moving in a circular path. The formula for centripetal force (Fc) is:
Fc = (m × v2) / r, where:
- m is the mass of the object (in this case, the car)
- v is the velocity of the object
- r is the radius of the circular path
Plugging in the values from the question, we get:
Fc = (1000 kg × (15 m/s)2) / 400 m
Fc = (1000 × 225) / 400
Fc = 225000 / 400
Fc = 562.5 N
Therefore, the horizontal thrust exerted on the wheels is 562.5 Newtons.
Note that this horizontal thrust is equivalent to the centripetal force necessary to keep the car moving in a circle at the given speed and radius.