Question

When a car is driven too fast around a curve it skids outwards. How would a passenger sitting inside explain the car’s motion? How would an observer standing on a road explain the event?

Answer 1

To the passenger sitting inside, a centrifugal force (–mv² /r) acts on the car. The greater v is the larger r would be. To an observer standing on the road, the car moving in a curve has a centripetal acceleration given by v² /r. Once again, the greater is v, the larger will be r.