Name
Period
Date
Central Force Worksheet 1
Assume that the car shown below is going at a constant speed as it travels
over a circular hill.
1. Construct a qualitative motion map of the car as it travels over the circular part of the
hill.
2. Is the car accelerating? If your response is yes, in what direction is the car
accelerating when it is at the position shown? (Explain how you know.)
3. Construct a qualitative force diagram for the car when it is at the position shown.
How do the magnitudes of the forces compare to one another? Explain how you
know.


 25 mi and the radius of curvature r  of the hill
s
h
is 25.0 m , determine the magnitude of the acceleration of the car.
4. If the speed of the car is 11.1 m
Central Force Worksheet 1
5. The mass of the car is 1500. kg .
a. What is the magnitude of the net force,
otherwise known as the centripetal force,
acting on the car?
page 2
b. What is the direction of
this centripetal force?
6. Construct a quantitative force diagram for the car.
7. For the car traveling over the hill as shown, what is the fastest speed it could have
and still remain in contact with the hill? Illustrate the situation described with a new
force diagram for the car at this speed.
8. Suppose the car was going faster than the speed that you calculated for question 7,
describe what would happen to the car.
Central Force Worksheet 1
page 3
Assume that the car in the diagram is going at a constant speed as it travels
through a circular valley.
9. Construct a qualitative motion map of the car as it travels through the circular valley.
10. Is the car accelerating? If your response is yes, in what direction is the car
accelerating when it is at the position shown? (Explain how you know.)
11. Construct a qualitative force diagram for the car when it is at the position shown.
How do the magnitudes of the forces compare to one another. Explain how you
know.


 25 mi and the radius of curvature r  of the
s
h
valley is 25.0 m , determine the magnitude of the acceleration of the car.
12. If the speed of the car is 11.1 m
Central Force Worksheet 1
13. The mass of the car is 1500. kg.
a. What is the magnitude of the net force,
otherwise known as the centripetal force,
acting on the car?
page 4
b. What is the direction of this
centripetal force?
14. Construct a quantitative force diagram for the car when it is at the position shown.
15. If the driver of the car weighs 540. N , construct a quantitative force diagram to
illustrate the forces acting on the driver when he is at the position shown.
16. What is the magnitude of the upward force that the seat is exerting on the driver?