Drag is the force of air resistance (friction)
pushing against the front of the car while it is moving.
Moving Car.
The forces acting on a moving
car are thrust and drag
as well as the same forces which act
on a stationary
car.
Drag is the force of air
resistance (friction)
pushing against the front of the car
while it is moving.
Thrust is the force
pushing the car
forwards.
Thrust comes from the engine turning the
wheels.
Tyres on the wheels push
backwards against the road as
they try to turn,
causing an equal
and opposite force
which pushes the car forwards.
The tyres must have good
grip (high friction)
so that they do not slip on the
road surface.
If the forces of thrust and
drag are equal,
then the forces are balanced and the
car will move with a constant
velocity.
If the forces of thrust and
drag are not equal,
then the forces are unbalanced and the
car will accelerate.
It will get faster if thrust is bigger than
drag,
and slower if drag is bigger than
thrust.
Headings Forces and
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