Final answer:
When negotiating a curve that is ideally banked for your car's speed, you are not thrown to either side but instead feel pushed towards the inside of the curve. The force exerted on you by the car seat is directed towards the center of the turn.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you negotiate a curve that is ideally banked for your car's speed, you do not feel yourself thrown to either side. Instead, you feel pushed towards the inside of the curve. The force exerted on you by the car seat is directed towards the center of the turn.
This happens because of the concept of centrifugal force. The car seat exerts an inward force on you to keep you moving in a curved path. This inward force is necessary to counteract the tendency of your body to continue moving in a straight line.
Centrifugal force is a fictitious force that appears to push objects away from the center of rotation. In reality, it is the result of inertia and the lack of a centripetal force that would pull you towards the center of the turn.