https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/62-uniform-circular-motion The change from the construction that made this right turn safer was the increase of the radius of the turn. Originally, the radius of this turn was quite small, but it was improved to be much larger.
The reason why the new, larger radius is safer can be found in the Centripetal Force Equation. This equation can be found above. Fc in this equation is the magnitude of the friction force needed to maintain the car's circular motion. If this force is greater than the force of friction of the between the car's tires and the road, the car will not maintain circular motion and will skid out. Mass, velocity and radius are all factors that determine the centripetal force needed to maintain the circular motion. In our situation, mass and velocity will remain constant, so we can only change the radius. Making the radius larger will decrease the amount of friction needed to not skid out. You can prove this directly with the formula, which has radius, r, in the denominator. This means that the larger the radius, the smaller the centripetal force will be. During the winter, when the roads often have ice on them, can lead to dangerous situations. The coefficient of friction between the car's tires and the icey road is much smaller than the tires and dry pavement. This means that a car with the same mass and tires will create a much smaller friction force on ice than on asphalt. The car will have a much more difficult time maintaining circular motion. In conclusion, increasing the radius of the turn lowers the centripetal force, which makes the turn much safer. This is especially important when driving on winter's icey roads, where there will be much less friction.
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After taking my first AP Physics I test, I feel good about it. All of the Mastering Physics assignments along with the review packets provided many hours of practice for the test, and this helped me to fully understand the material and be well prepared. Coming into the test, I was expecting a very difficult assessment. Although I had studied thoroughly, I felt like Mr. Frost would throw us a scary curveball. The test ended up not being terrible, and I think the test as a whole was a good assessment of kinematics. I feel confident in my performance, Overall, I would say that the conceptual acceleration problems were the most challenging. The first AP Physics I test was a good test of our knowledge of the kinematics unit and I was able to properly study.
My feelings towards my AP Physics I class are all positive. I enjoy the people that I get to work with, and the teacher is awesome. I really enjoy the labs we do and the way we learn about physics. I truly believe that this class is the right fit for me. The kids enrolled and the pace of the class are all easy for me to get along with. In the future, I am looking forward to learning more about specific physics topics and delving deep into the course. I am also looking forward to becoming fully prepared for the AP Exam, and this is also one of my concerns. I am of course nervous about scoring well on the exam, but I have faith that the course will properly prepare me with all the tools in order to do well. Other than this, I am excited for what the year has in store in AP Physics I.
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AuthorI'm Dylan Torrey. I am 16 years old and a student at Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA. I am taking AP Physics I this year. I am personally interested in physics and love learning about the subject. |