- #1
fog37
- 1,568
- 108
Hello Forum,
In the situation of a car banking a curve there are two forces: weight W and the normal force N. Theta is the banking angle between the road and the horizontal.
The vector addition between W and N gives a net force F_net that is directed toward the center. That F_net is the centripetal force. Both forces take part in generating the centripetal force.
If we orient the Cartesian axes so that the x-axis is point toward the center of the we discover than only the contact force N has a component along that axis and generates the centripetal force...
How should I reconcile this difference?
From the vector diagram, we see both forces participating in creating the centripetal force while in the component analysis we only see the normal force participating. However, if the x-axis was directed along the slope, then both forces W and N would have component along the direction toward the center of curvature and it would turn out that both forces participate to the net force also from a component analysis point of view...
thanks,
fog37
In the situation of a car banking a curve there are two forces: weight W and the normal force N. Theta is the banking angle between the road and the horizontal.
The vector addition between W and N gives a net force F_net that is directed toward the center. That F_net is the centripetal force. Both forces take part in generating the centripetal force.
If we orient the Cartesian axes so that the x-axis is point toward the center of the we discover than only the contact force N has a component along that axis and generates the centripetal force...
How should I reconcile this difference?
From the vector diagram, we see both forces participating in creating the centripetal force while in the component analysis we only see the normal force participating. However, if the x-axis was directed along the slope, then both forces W and N would have component along the direction toward the center of curvature and it would turn out that both forces participate to the net force also from a component analysis point of view...
thanks,
fog37