Drag race tires in contact with an asphalt surface probably have one of the highest coefficients of static friction in the everyday world. Given a car with a mass of 3000kg:

Assuming a constant acceleration and no slipping of tires, what acceleration does the car experience if it covers a quarter mile in 6.0 s? (1 mi = 1609 m)

What is the coefficient of static friction? (Assume the magnitude of the force that accelerates the car is approximately equal to the magnitude of the frictional force between the tires and the road.)

Did you need the mass to calculate the coefficient of friction? Why or why not?

Question

Kamila Sampson

12 February, 20:12

+4

Answers (1)

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Patience Pugh · Answer 1

From s = ½at²

a = 2s / t² = 2 * ¼ * 1609m / (6.0s) ² = 22 m/s² ◄ acceleration

µ = a / g = 22 / 9.8 = 2.3

both answers to two significant digits.