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An 1100 kg car is driving at a constant velocity. The force of the car’s engine is 2000 N, and friction is present between the car’s tires and the road. What is the coefficient of friction between the car's tires and the road? (g = 9.8 m/s^2)

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Final answer:

The coefficient of friction (μ) between the car's tires and the road, when the car is driving with a constant velocity with an engine force of 2000 N, is approximately 0.186.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is focused on determining the coefficient of friction between a car's tires and the road when the car is moving at a constant velocity. In this situation, where a 1100 kg car is driving with a constant velocity and the force of the car's engine is 2000 N, we know that the force provided by the engine is counteracted by the force of friction, which is due to the interaction between the car's tires and the road surface.

To find the coefficient of friction (μ), we use the following relationship: frictional force = μ × normal force. The normal force for a car on a level road is equal to the weight of the car, which is the mass (m) times the acceleration due to gravity (g), so it's m × g. With the mass as 1100 kg and 'g' as 9.8 m/s², the normal force is 1100 kg × 9.8 m/s² = 10780 N. Since the car is moving at constant velocity, the frictional force must be equal to the engine force, which is 2000 N.

Therefore, the coefficient of friction is calculated as:

  • μ = frictional force / normal force
  • μ = 2000 N / 10780 N
  • μ ≈ 0.1855

The coefficient of friction between the car's tires and the road is approximately 0.186.

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