Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

APlusPhysics Community

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Friction of a car

Featured Replies

We are having trouble understanding the concept of question number 13 below: (we figured out the first ones OK)

 

 

Base your answers to questions 9 through 13 on the information below. 

A manufacturer’s advertisement claims that their 1,250-kilogram (12,300-newton) sports car can accelerate on a level road from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 26.8 meters per second) in 3.75 seconds. 

  1. 9. Determine the acceleration, in meters per second2, of the car according to the advertisement. 

 

  1. 10. Calculate the net force required to give the car the acceleration claimed in the advertisement. [show all work, including the equation and substitution with units.] 

 

  1. 11. What is the normal force exerted by the road on the car? 

 

  1. 12. The coefficient of friction between the car’s tires and the road is 0.80. Calculate the maximum force of friction between the car’s tires and the road. [show all work, including the equation and substitution with units.] 

 

  1. 13. Using the values for the forces you have calculated, explain whether or not the manufacturer’s claim for the car’s acceleration is possible. 

Solved by FizziksGuy

  • Solution

Ahhh, likewise, I am not a fan of question 13 here (and only include it in the Regents Q&A book to give students an idea of what might come up).  The general strategy here... in #9 and #10 you find out how much force is required to meet the manufacturer's specs.  In #12, you find the maximum possible force friction can provide.  For #13, if the maximum force of friction from #12 is greater than the specification (#10), the manufacturer's claim is legit.  If the maximum force of friction from #12 is less than the net force required to meet the manufacturer's specs (#1), the manufacturer's claim is bogus.  Does that help?

  • Author

Thanks Dan! We appreciate all your resources on A+ Physics ... 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.