Honors Physics Homework Solutions “5.

3 Highway Curves, Banked and Unbanked” page 129

Questions 8,9
8. Why do bicycle riders lean inward when rounding a curve at high speed?
When a bicycle rider leans inward, the bike tire pushes down on the ground at an angle. The road
surface then pushes back on the tire both vertically (to provide the normal force which counteracts
gravity) and horizontally toward the center of the curve (to provide the centripetal frictional force, r
enabling them to turn). r FN
mg r
Ffr

9. Why do airplanes bank when they turn? How would you compute the banking angle given its speed and radius
of the turn?
Airplanes bank when they turn because in order to turn, there must be a force that will be exerted q r
towards the center of a circle. By tilting the wings, the lift force on the wings has a non-vertical Flift
component which points toward the center of the curve, providing the centripetal force. The R
banking angle can be computed from the free-body diagram. The sum of vertical forces must be
zero for the plane to execute a level turn, and so Flift cos q = mg . The horizontal component of the r
mg
lifting force must provide the centripetal force to move the airplane in a circle.

mg v2
Flift sin q = m v 2 r � sin q = m v 2 r � tan q =
cos q Rg

Problems 9,10,18
9. (II) What is the maximum speed with which a 1050-kg car can round a turn of radius 77 m on a flat road if the
coefficient of static friction between tires and road is 0.80? Is this result independent of the mass of the car?
A free-body diagram for the car at one instant of time is shown. In the diagram, the car is coming r
out of the paper at the reader, and the center of the circular path is to the right of the car, in the FN r
plane of the paper. If the car has its maximum speed, it would be on the verge of slipping, and the Ffr
force of static friction would be at its maximum value. The vertical forces (gravity and normal r
force) are of the same magnitude, because the car is not accelerating vertically. We assume that mg
the force of friction is the force causing the circular motion.

FR = Ffr � m v 2 r = m s FN = m s mg � v = m s rg = ( 0.80 ) ( 77 m ) ( 9.8 m )

s 2 = 25 m s

Notice that the result is independent of the car’s mass.

10. (II) How large must the coefficient of static friction be between the tires and the road if a car is to round a level
curve of radius 85 m at a speed of 95 km h ?
In the free-body diagram, the car is coming out of the paper at the reader, and the center of the r
circular path is to the right of the car, in the plane of the paper. The vertical forces (gravity and FN r
normal force) are of the same magnitude, because the car is not accelerating vertically. We Ffr
assume that the force of friction is the force causing the circular motion. If the car has its r
maximum speed, it would be on the verge of slipping, and the force of static friction would be at mg
its maximum value.
2
� � 1m s � �
2
( 95 km hr ) �
� �
�
FR = Ffr � m v 2 r = m s FN = m s mg � m s =
v
=�
�3.6 km hr �
� = 0.84
rg ( 85 m ) ( 9.8 m
2
s )
Notice that the result is independent of the car’s mass.
18. (II) In a “Rotor-ride” at a carnival, people are rotated in a cylindrically walled “room.” (See Fig. 5–35.) The
room radius is 4.6 m, and the rotation frequency is 0.50 revolutions per second when the floor drops out. What is
the minimum coefficient of static friction so that the people will not slip down? People on this ride say they were
“pressed against the wall.” Is there really an outward force pressing them against the wall? If so, what is its
source? If not, what is the proper description of their situation (besides “scary”)? [Hint: First draw the free-body
diagram for a person.]
r
Consider the free-body diagram for a person in the “Rotor-ride”. FN is the normal force of contact between the
r
rider and the wall, and Ffr is the static frictional force between the back of the rider and the
wall. Write Newton’s 2nd law for the vertical forces, noting that there is no vertical acceleration.
r
�F y
= Ffr - mg = 0 � Ffr = mg Ffr

If we assume that the static friction force is a maximum, then r

r FN
mg
Ffr = m s FN = mg � FN = m g m s .

But the normal force must be the force causing the centripetal motion – it is the only force pointing to the center of
4p 2 mr
rotation. Thus FR = FN = m v r . Using v = 2p r T , we have FN =
2
. Equate the two expressions for the
T2
normal force and solve for the coefficient of friction. Note that since there are 0.5 rev per sec, the period is 2.0 sec.

FN =
4p 2 mr
=
mg
� ms =
gT 2
=
( 9.8 m s ) ( 2 s )
2 2

= 0.22 .
T2 ms 4p 2 r 4p 2 ( 4.6 m )

Any larger value of the coefficient of friction would mean that the normal force could be smaller to achieve the same
frictional force, and so the period could be longer or the cylinder smaller.

There is no force pushing outward on the riders. Rather, the wall pushes against the riders, so by Newton’s 3rd law
the riders push against the wall. This gives the sensation of being pressed into the wall.