A car rounds a curve by leaning into the turn. The reason for this is centripetal force which is the force that pulls an object toward the center of a circle. In order for a car to turn it has to have enough centripetal force to counteract the force of gravity. The amount of centripetal force is determined by the car’s speed and the radius of the turn.
The faster a car is going the more centripetal force it needs to turn. The reason for this is that the faster a car is going the more inertia it has. Inertia is the property of an object that resists changes in its motion. The faster an object is moving the more inertia it has and the more force it takes to change its direction.
Theradius of the turn also affects the amount of centripetal force needed. The radius is the distance from the center of the turn to the outside edge of the turn. The larger the radius the slower the car can go and still make the turn. The smaller the radius the faster the car can go.
When a car rounds a turn it actually travels in a circle. The radius of the circle is determined by the car’s speed and the width of the turn. The faster the car is going the wider the turn must be. The slower the car is going the narrower the turn can be.
A car can only turn so sharply before it starts to skid. Skidding occurs when the tires lose traction with the road. This can happen if the car is going too fast for the turn or if the turn is too sharp for the car’s speed.
If a car starts to skid the driver should ease off the accelerator and turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the skid. This will help the car to straighten out and regain traction.
Why does a car tend to go straight when rounding a curve?
The car’s tires grip the road more in the straight direction than in the curved direction.
How can a driver help their vehicle round a curve?
The driver can slow down and avoid making sudden steering inputs.
