Question

Compare the magnitude of the normal component of the force a car seat exerts on you with the magnitude of the force that Earth exerts on you when the car moves across the bottom of a dip in the road.

a) The force exerted by the car seat is greater.
b) The force exerted by Earth is greater.
c) Both forces are equal in magnitude.
d) It depends on the mass of the car.

Answer 1

The magnitude of the normal force exerted by the car seat on you is greater than the gravitational force exerted by Earth when the car moves across the bottom of a dip in the road.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing the magnitude of the normal component of the force a car seat exerts on you with the magnitude of the force that Earth exerts on you when the car moves across the bottom of a dip in the road, the correct answer is that the force exerted by the car seat is greater. This occurs because when a car is moving across the bottom of a dip, the normal force (the force the seat exerts on you) needs to provide the centripetal force required to keep the car and you moving along the curved path, in addition to counteracting your weight. Therefore, the normal force exerted by the car seat is greater than the gravitational force exerted by Earth during this maneuver.