Q4DQ - University Physics with Modern Physics

Question

You drive a car up a steep hill at constant speed. Discuss all of the forces that act on the car. What pushes it up the hill?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The car is exerting a force on the ground which has two components such as $mg \cos \theta$ and respectively. The normal force acting on the car is $F_n$ and the friction force produced by the car is $F_s$ . Finally, the car produces a reaction force $F_r$.

The static friction pushes the car up the hill.

Step 1: Significance of friction force

The friction force mainly resists the motion of an object when two objects’ surfaces come towards each other. The friction force is equal to the product of the normal force and the coefficient of friction.

Step 2: Determination of the forces that is acting on the car

$F_s$The free body diagram of the car has been drawn below:

 

 

In the above diagram, the car is exerting a force on the ground which has two components such as $mg \cos \theta$ and $mg \sin \theta$ respectively. The normal force acting on the car is $F_n$ and the friction force produced by the car is $F_s$. Finally, the car produces a reaction force $F_r$. Thus, the car is exerting a force on the ground which has two components such as $mg \cos \theta$ and $mg \sin \theta$ respectively. The normal force acting on the car is $F_n$ and the friction force produced by the car is . Finally, the car produces a reaction force $F_r$.