There are two major forces acting on a car while it goes around a curve: centrifugal force (C) and friction force (F). C wants to pull the car outward, away from the turn axis. F wants to push the car inward, towards the turn axis. The true force, F, is in fact the centripetal force other answers are talking about.
If the car goes around the curve without skidding, the two forces are equal and opposite in magnitude and direction. That means that C - F = 0 = ma = f; where m is the car's mass, f is the net force on the car, and a is the car's acceleration along the radius of turn R. As you can see, if the car is not skidding, a = 0 and there is no radial acceleration.
If the car skids while turning, C - F <> 0, which means a <> 0 and there will be acceleration. The direction of a, inward or outward along the radius of turn (R), depends on which force is the greater force.
Centrifugal force, C = mv^2/R; where v is the constant speed you are talking about. So you can see there is centrifugal force even though the speed (v) is constant. Further, F = kmg; where k is the coefficient of friction and g is acceleration due to gravity, so friction force (the true centripetal force) exists no matter what the speed of the car is.
So the answer is, the radial acceleration can be pointing inward, outward, or not at all, depending on the C and F forces.
As a mind experiment, imagine your car sitting still on a road with an embankment. Then C = 0 because v = 0; and F = mg sin(theta) - kmg cos(theta) = mg(sin(theta) - k cos(theta)), where theta is the slope of the embankment. But, clearly, in this case, F > C; so the acceleration would be inward; the car would slide down the embankment and accelerate all the way.
[NB: You will see that centrifugal force is considered a faux force by many, if not most, physicists. Further, they consider centripetal force is the only true force. Even so, the centrifugal force equation C = mv^2/R is the one they invoke to find centripetal force. That results because, when there is no skidding C = F, and the C equation is easier to remember and use than the F equation in most cases.]
2007-10-12 15:08:00
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answer #1
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answered by oldprof 7
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The acceleration will always be directed inward. It's called centripetal acceleration.
Edit to eye:
Centrifugal force isn't considered a faux force. IT IS A FAUX FORCE. It's an illusion thet results from a non-inertial reference frame. If you actually paid attention in physics, you'd know that during uniform circular motion, the NET force is the centripetal force and it's equal to the sum of the other force vectors, and it's also defined as (mv^2)/r. Please write me and let me know if you've worked on any projects as an engineer that I should avoid out of interest of personal safety. My dog understands physics better than you.
2007-10-12 13:56:59
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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stress your automobile, not theirs. do not difficulty about it, purely stress threat-free and difficulty about your man or woman moves, in the journey that your not doing something incorrect, do not replace. do not hit the brakes until eventually you're at risk. purely live on your route. further: Why slowing down is a foul option - If the driving force passing comes to a decision 1/2 way by using that their decision changed into below stellar, they could attempt to hit their brakes and tuck back in in the back of you. in case you do a similar you in truth block them contained in the lane of oncoming site visitors. when you're travelling at 60 (lets purely say) then stay at 60. a minimum of your predictable and the different driving force can make their judgements for that reason. at the same time as they all started the bypass they knew what speed you've been going. do not throw a wrench contained in the blend, purely stress.
2016-10-09 03:03:24
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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