A car travels on a banked circular curve at constant speed. All four of the car's tires roll without slipping. The car moves at just the right speed so that the frictional force is zero. Which statement is true?

a. The vertical component of the normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

b. The horizontal component of the normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

c. The normal force acts in the opposite direction as the car's velocity.

d. The normal force acts in the same direction as the car's velocity.

e. The normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

Question

Felipe

Physics

4 May, 07:44

A car travels on a banked circular curve at constant speed. All four of the car's tires roll without slipping. The car moves at just the right speed so that the frictional force is zero. Which statement is true?

a. The vertical component of the normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

b. The horizontal component of the normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

c. The normal force acts in the opposite direction as the car's velocity.

d. The normal force acts in the same direction as the car's velocity.

e. The normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

+2

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Jonathon Stephens · Answer 1

b. The horizontal component of the normal force acts toward the center of the circle.

Explanation:

When a car on a banked turn move with just the right speed so that the frictional force is zero, a component of the normal force - which is always perpendicular to the surface - acts as the centripetal force on the car. This is because the normal force now has a horizontal component, and this component supplies the centripetal force.