A pair of fuzzy dice hang from the rear view mirror of a car. For each of the motions indicate which way the dice would move and why:
a) constant velocity forward
b) speeding up backward
c) slowing down forward
I understand that when the car's state of motion changes, in the split seconds after the change, the objects in the car are still responding to inertia so they hold on to their previous state of motion.
I am wondering, do the objects in the car always catch up to the car's state of motion eventually because they are attached to the car and are also experiencing the forces indirectly?
1 answer
When the car accelerates forward. the dice retain their old slower speed instantaneously and fall back. However then the tension in the string they are hanging by has a forward component of force on the dice because of its angle. That accelerates the dice forward with the car and the dice remain at that angle back from vertical until the car resumes constant speed again. At that point the dice are no longer needing a forward force to accelerate with the car and the string resumes its vertical hang angle.
2 answers