Math Problem Statement
Engineers are designing a curved section of a highway. If the radius of curvature of the curve is 194 m, at what angle should the curve be banked so that a car traveling at 29.0 m/s will stay on the road without the aid of frictional forces?
Solution
The problem you're describing involves calculating the angle at which a curved road should be banked so that a car can travel safely around it at a given speed without relying on friction. This can be solved using the concept of centripetal force and the banking angle formula.
Formula for the banking angle (θ):
Where:
- is the banking angle.
- is the speed of the car (29.0 m/s).
- is the radius of curvature (194 m).
- is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²).
Steps:
- First, calculate the right-hand side of the equation:
- Now substitute the values:
- Take the arctangent (inverse tangent) to find :
Final answer:
The curve should be banked at approximately 23.9°.
Would you like further details or have any other questions?
Here are some related questions for further exploration:
- How does the banking angle change if the speed of the car increases?
- What would happen if friction is taken into account in the calculation?
- How does the radius of curvature influence the required banking angle?
- Can the car stay on the road if the road were flat at this speed?
- What role does the coefficient of friction play in non-banked curves?
Tip: The steeper the banking angle, the less friction is needed to prevent skidding, which is why curves on highways are often banked at sharper angles in high-speed areas.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Centripetal Force
Trigonometry
Physics of Motion
Formulas
tan(θ) = v^2 / (r * g)
Theorems
Centripetal force in circular motion
Banking angle in physics
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 10-12
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