Pure Translation - Example 6.5-2

 

Consider a front-wheel-drive car that is accelerating down the road. What are the forces acting on the car?

 

 

Draw a free-body diagram of the car. Click on the figure to see the FBD.

 

Given the acceleration and mass of the car, attempt to determine all the forces acting on the car using Newton’s second law.

 

∑F = ma

 

What are the two equations that come out of applying Newton's second law?

 

F_f,front - F_f,back = ma_x
F_f,front + F_f,back = ma_x
N_front - N_back = mg
N_front + N_back = mg