Published by:
CGP EDU Academic Team
Published on: September 12, 2026
The turning of a car must be produced by an external force acting at an angle to the line of motion of the car. This external force can only be the force of friction between tyres and ground. Then why, when the front wheels of the car are turned, does to direction of the force of friction change in such a way that the whole car is caused to turn?
Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsThe correct answer is:
A
Step 1: Understand the situation when a car is turning. When the front wheels of a car are turned, the direction of the car's velocity vector also changes, meaning the car is no longer moving straight but is now in a curve.
Step 2: Identify the forces acting on the car. The primary force that allows the car to turn is the frictional force between the tires and the road. This frictional force acts at an angle to the line of motion of the car.
Step 3: Analyze the effect of turning the front wheels. When the wheels are turned, the tires encounter the road at an angle, which changes the direction of the frictional force acting on those tires. This results in a lateral force that pulls the car in the direction of the turn.
Step 4: Apply Newton's law of motion. According to Newton's second law, the net force acting on the car will produce acceleration in the direction of that force. Since the frictional force has changed direction to match the new line of motion (the curve), it causes the car to accelerate towards the center of the turn.
Conclusion: The frictional force provides the necessary centripetal force to keep the car moving in a curve as the turned front wheels generate a force that directs the car in the new direction. Thus, the change in the angle of the force of friction effectively causes the car to turn.
Therefore, the answer is based on the importance and role of friction in car dynamics.
Step 2: Identify the forces acting on the car. The primary force that allows the car to turn is the frictional force between the tires and the road. This frictional force acts at an angle to the line of motion of the car.
Step 3: Analyze the effect of turning the front wheels. When the wheels are turned, the tires encounter the road at an angle, which changes the direction of the frictional force acting on those tires. This results in a lateral force that pulls the car in the direction of the turn.
Step 4: Apply Newton's law of motion. According to Newton's second law, the net force acting on the car will produce acceleration in the direction of that force. Since the frictional force has changed direction to match the new line of motion (the curve), it causes the car to accelerate towards the center of the turn.
Conclusion: The frictional force provides the necessary centripetal force to keep the car moving in a curve as the turned front wheels generate a force that directs the car in the new direction. Thus, the change in the angle of the force of friction effectively causes the car to turn.
Therefore, the answer is based on the importance and role of friction in car dynamics.
Prepare Smarter with CGP Edu
Get practice questions, solutions, and test series in one place.
Write a Review
Share your experience with this question and solution.
Commentary
Send your comment, doubt, correction, or feedback to admin.
Similar Questions
Explore conceptually related problems
A man swings a stone tied to a string of length in a vertical plane. The string remains stretched …
The driver of a car traveling at velocity v suddenly sees a broad wall in front of him at distance …
To anticipate the dip and hump in the road the driver of a car applies her brakes to produce a unif…
A certain rocket maintains a horizontal attitude of its axis during the powered phase of its fligh…
A body slips down a chute which is in the form of a loop as in fig. It starts from the lowest admis…
A plumb-line is set up on a rotating disk and makes an angle of with the vertical, as in Fig. The …