Final answer:
The statement that most vehicles today have four-wheel or all-wheel drive is generally false. Calculations for the maximum acceleration of a truck and the potential for a cabinet slipping on its bed have been presented for two-wheel and four-wheel drive scenarios.
Step-by-step explanation:
Examining Traction and Drive Systems in Vehicles
Addressing the initial question, the statement that most vehicles today have four-wheel or all-wheel drive is generally false. Many vehicles are equipped with either front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, although all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive options are increasingly common, especially in SUVs and trucks.
Calculating Maximum Acceleration
To calculate the maximum acceleration for the given utility truck, we must use Newton's Second Law of Motion (F = ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration) and the concept of friction.
- The truck's mass is 1.00 × 10³ kg, and with half of the weight being supported by the two drive wheels, the effective weight is (1.00 × 10³ kg) / 2.
- The coefficient of static friction (μ) for dry concrete ranges from about 0.6 to 0.85.
- Using the higher end of friction values, Ffriction = μ × Normal force. The normal force in this case is half the truck's weight (the gravitational force), so Ffriction = μ × (mass × gravity) / 2.
- Since F = ma, the maximum acceleration a can be determined by a = Ffriction/m.
For part (c), having four-wheel drive potentially distributes the weight and the friction force more evenly across all four wheels, possibly allowing for slightly more acceleration due to increased friction capacity.
Metal Cabinet on Wooden Bed
If the cabinet's friction with the wooden bed is less than the friction force between the wheels and concrete, it could slip if the truck accelerates too quickly. This should be analyzed by comparing the static friction force that can act on the cabinet with the force due to the truck's acceleration.
In summary, for the 1.00× 10³ kg utility truck, we have analyzed the scenarios for two-wheel and four-wheel drives in relation to the maximum achievable acceleration and the likelihood of a metal cabinet slipping within the truck during such acceleration.