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ENGR5004 / Week 2
Dynamics S3 slide 4: Total acceleration of a car on a curveFrom lectureCurrent specThird4 marks4 min

ENGR5004 Dynamics Session 3, slide 4 (Applications of a particle in curvilinear motion (1))

Cars travelling around a motorway junction (such as Swindon's Magic Roundabout) experience an acceleration due to a change in magnitude and direction of the velocity.

Formulas you may need
  • at=v˙a_t = \dot v, an=v2ρa_n = \dfrac{v^2}{\rho}, a=at2+an2a = \sqrt{a_t^2 + a_n^2} (learn this)
  1. (a)
    If the car's speed is increasing at a known rate as it travels along a curve, how can we determine the magnitude and direction of its total acceleration?
    [3]
  2. (b)
    Why would we want to know the total acceleration of the car?
    [1]