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pavelow

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  1. pavelow
    When taking corners quickly, the biggest worry most drivers should have is slipping and losing control of the car. This happens when a driver takes the corner too fast. The physics of taking a flat corner depends on the equation vmax = Sqrt(mu*r*g). mu, the coefficient of static friction, is constant, as is g, the acceleration due to gravity. Therefore, a driver trying to take a corner as quickly as possible would like to make the radius of the turn as large as possible to allow for a higher vmax, keeping his car from slipping at higher speeds.

    But how? Doesn't a road have a defined radius?

    Yes, and no. The picture explains it. The arrow in the figure is what's called a "line" this is the best possible way for a car to take a corner at the highest speed. The line a regular driver would take is very curved, mimicking the road, and not allowing for a high vmax due to the small radius. A race car driver would take a better line. The racer's line is significantly less curved than the regular driver's line, making the radius much larger, allowing for a higher vmax . The racecar driver starts and ends wide of the inside and hits the apex of the turn, allowing for the least curved line possible.

    To conclude, when trying to take a corner quickly, the driver of the car should start out wide, hit the apex, and end wide, causing a relatively high radius and a relatively high vmax, without having the car slip off the road.
  2. pavelow
    Bob is barreling down the thruway in his truck at 40 m/s when a crash occurs in front of it. The driver wants to stop in the shortest distance possible. He slams on the brakes. Before the invention and implementation of the Anti-lock brake system, or ABS, the truck's tires would have locked up and the truck would have slid into the crash.

    Why?

    When brakes cause tires to lock up, the type of friction between the tires and road changes from static friction to kinetic friction. This decreases the total force of friction between the surfaces. Because of the decrease in force opposing the truck's motion, the truck cannot stop in a short distance.

    How does the ABS prevent this?

    The Anti-lock brake system prevents the tires from locking up. Therefore, the type of friction between the tires and the road is always static, the strongest type of friction. The implementation of ABS into modern cars and trucks has prevented crashes from panicked drivers, such as Bob, by allowing them to come to a complete stop in shorter distances than before possible, even better than experienced drivers using advanced braking techniques without ABS.
  3. pavelow

    All about me

    By pavelow,

    Hello, Anonymous AP Physics C student here, letting all you other anons know what i think and stuff.

    I was promised points for posting here, so here I am. I have always loved math and science, because applying these subjects has allowed me to better understand the world around me. I am hoping AP Physics C will help me understand the real world and the way things interact in it rather than a world that exists only in an engineer's dreams.

    I am taking this class because I love challenging myself and I felt that the classes i took last year didn't do that for me. The calculus will be hard, the problems will be hard, and the course will be rigorous, but it is worth it in the end.

    My goals for this class are passing with a 90+ average and getting a 5 on both AP tests. I feel that Mr. Fullerton is more than capable of teaching the class and me everything we need to know to do exactly that.

    I am excited about passing this class and giving the school another reason to complain about how it's not fair that I am smart. I feel that this class will be a great way to culminate my high school career.

    Lastly, look out for more amazing blog posts coming soon.

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