Question

A 740-kg race car can drive around an unbanked turn at a maximum speed of 41 m/s without slipping. The turn has a radius of 170 m. Air flowing over the car's wing exerts a downward-pointing force (called the downforce) of 11000 N on the car. (a) What is the coefficient of static friction between the track and the car's tires? (b) What would be the maximum speed if no downforce acted on the car?

Answer 1

The coefficient of static friction between the track and the car's tires is approximately 0.168. The maximum speed if no downforce acted on the car would be approximately 43.23 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the coefficient of static friction between the track and the car's tires, we need to use the centripetal force equation. The centripetal force is equal to the product of the car's mass, the radius of the turn, and the square of the car's maximum speed.

The centripetal force is also equal to the product of the coefficient of static friction and the car's weight. We can set these two expressions equal to each other and solve for the coefficient of static friction.

Using the given values, the coefficient of static friction between the track and the car's tires is approximately 0.168.

To find the maximum speed if no downforce acted on the car, we can use the same centripetal force equation, but this time we set the downward-pointing force to zero. Again, solving for the maximum speed, we get approximately 43.23 m/s.