For a scene in a movie, a stunt driver drives a 1.90 103 kg pickup truck with a length of 4.09 m around a circular curve with a radius of curvature of 0.333 km. The truck is to curve off the road, jump across a gully 10.0 m wide, and land on the other side 2.96 m below the initial side. What is the minimum centripetal acceleration the truck must have in going around the circular curve to clear the gully and land on the other side?

Question

For a scene in a movie, a stunt driver drives a 1.90  103 kg pickup truck with a length of 4.09 m around a circular curve with a radius of curvature of 0.333 km. The truck is to curve off the road, jump across a gully 10.0 m wide, and land on the other side 2.96 m below the initial side. What is the minimum centripetal acceleration the truck must have in going around the circular curve to clear the gully and land on the other side?

bobpursley · Answer

well, you need the initial vertical velocity approaching the ditch.

over the ditch, one drops 2.96m. How long does it take to fall that distance?
2.96=1/2 g t^2 or t= sqrt(2*2.96/9.8)=.9455 sec check that.

so, to get across the ditch in this time, velocity= 10m/.9455=10.575m/s

centripetal acceleration= v^2/r