If your traveling at 50 mph and you ramp onto a car hauler traveling at 49 does the hauler absorb your speed?

Question

Settle an argument for me. if you ramp a car hauler going slightly faster than it is, your overall speed in respect to a stationary point is your orginal speed plus the speed of the new force acting on it right? not the difference of your speeds plus the speed of the hauler. We are just trying to get the more likely answer... and both arguments are understood to be in a vacuum, no wind resistance. perfect traction upon mounting the ramp, no increased engine load due to inclination of the ramp... just simple answers.

Answer 1

Since you are considering it in an ideal situation it is the same as approaching a stationary ramp at 1 mph with no power input. Just coasting. so once onto the ramp you must use your brakes to slow down by the one mile per hour and the truck absorbs that as a proportionate to mass speed increase(car included because it becomes part of the system.

In something more real you would lose that speed climbing the ramp and would need to apply motor power to get up the ramp.
In effect you would be adding the cars force of stopping from 1 mph to the truck as speed to the truck

You would actually in a real case event cut the poer to the wheels of the car just befor they hit the ramp. then it would onlt be the angular momentum of the tires and the 1mph speed difference to consider. The danger is stalling trying to get onto the ramp.

Answer 2

No. As soon as the drive wheels of the car hit the ramp the car will lurch forward onto the ramp at 50 miles an hour, or try to, burning smoke and rubber. The efffect would be the same as jacking up a car so the drive wheels are just off the ground, accelerating the car to 50 mph, then kicking out the jacks.

Relative to a staionary point on the ground, the car would theoretically be going 99 mph, except before it could get out of its skid and up to speed it would smash into the back of the cab of the hauler and burst into flames.

Answer 3

When you go onto the ramp your overall speed will be 99 miles per hour. IWith respect to an observer at a stationary point.

Answer 4

Speed is completely relative, and a force is needed to change the speed of any object.

So, with respect to the trailer, the car will make itself up the trailer at 1mph. Then, it'll continue going at 1mph. If it stops, it's due to the friction between the car and the trailer. In that case - the friction causes the trailer to go faster and the car to go slower until their speeds match.

So, there really isn't any new force - the car is still going 50mph with respect to the ground, and the trailer is still going 49mph. If the car does not change speed, it will eventually make itself past the ramp.

Answer 5

No.
Assuming you don't mash your brakes, you would be traveling up the ramp at 50 miles per hour - relatve to the ramp - and 99 mph relative to the road.

Answer 6

The hauler will now be carrying you and will have more energy if speed is maintained, however, the car will no longer be propelling itself once on the hauler, so any gain in energy would be temporary, and cancelled out by braking once you're on the hauler.