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What is the drag force on a 1.6 m wide, 1.4 m high car traveling at a. 10 m/s (≈ 22 mph)? Suppose that the density of air is 1.2 kg/m³.

User Rich Adams
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The drag force on a car can be calculated using the formula Fdrag = (1/2) * drag_coefficient * density * velocity^2 * frontal_area. Given the dimensions of the car and the density of air, we can calculate the drag force to be approximately 8.064 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

The drag force on a car can be calculated using the formula:

F_drag = (1/2) * drag_coefficient * density * velocity^2 * frontal_area

To calculate the drag force, we need to know the drag coefficient, the density of air, the velocity of the car, and the

frontal area.

Given that the car is 1.6 m wide and 1.4 m high, the frontal area is 1.6 m * 1.4 m = 2.24 m^2.

Substituting the given values into the formula, we get:

F_drag = (1/2) * drag_coefficient * 1.2 kg/m^3 * 10 m/s^2 * 2.24 m^2

Let's assume a typical drag coefficient for a car is 0.3. Substituting this value, we get:

F_drag ≈ (1/2) * 0.3 * 1.2 kg/m^3 * 10 m/s^2 * 2.24 m^2 = 8.064 N

Therefore, the drag force on the car is approximately 8.064 N.

User Valdis
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