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On the Road

A car going round a roundabout experiences a force towards the centre of the roundabout. This force is provided by friction on the tyres. Limiting friction is proportional to the normal contact force, which on a flat road equals the car's weight: F = μmg where mg is the weight. So μmg must be greater than or equal to mv2/r. So v cannot be greater than √(μgr).

Over the top of a hill the centripetal force F = mg - S = mv2/r where s is the normal contact force. S is zero when g = v2/r and the car loses contact with the road.On a banked road, the horizontal component of the normal reaction provides the centripetal force. v2 = gr tanθ so if the speed exceeds a certain value the radius has to increase and the car will move outwards.

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Specification: Edexcel Physics (9PH0), A-level, Topic 6: Further Mechanics. Topic: Further Mechanics.

Key terms in this lesson

centripetal force
The resultant force directed towards the centre of a circular path that keeps an object moving along that circle.
limiting friction
The maximum frictional force between two surfaces in contact, reached just before sliding begins, equal to the coefficient of friction times the normal force.

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