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Rocket

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

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Thermometer

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

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Water Wave

Theme C - Wave Behaviour 

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Magnifying Glass Tilted Right

Theme D - Fields

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Microscope

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

Hey, future physicist! Ready to dive into the magical world of car dynamics and forces? Well, strap in and let&#39;s get rolling! 🌟

<ul>
	<li>Every car has a maximum speed it can reach. Ever wondered why?</li>
	<li>Two primary things affect this</li>
</ul>

Engine Force: This is like the car&#39;s &quot;muscle power.&quot; The stronger it is, the faster the car can potentially go.

<ul>
	<li>Drag Force: Imagine running with a parachute. The faster you run, the harder it pulls you back. That&#39;s what the air does to the car.</li>
	<li>Fun Fact: If a car&#39;s speed doubles, the drag force goes up by four times (Fd &prop; v2). It&#39;s like the universe&#39;s way of saying &quot;Slow down, racer!&quot; 🌬️</li>
	<li>When a car&#39;s engine is giving its ALL, and every bit of that energy is used up in fighting things like air resistance, we hit max speed.</li>
</ul>

Example I: Vroom Car 🚗

<ul>
	<li>Speed: 25ms-1</li>
	<li>Engine Power: 20kW</li>
	<li>To find out how hard the engine is pushing (driving force)</li>
	<li>Driving force = power &divide; speed</li>
	<li>📝 Driving force = 20000 &divide; 25 = 800N</li>
</ul>

Example II: Hill Climber 🚴

<ul>
	<li>Cyclist speed: Constant</li>
	<li>Distance: 1.5km</li>
	<li>Time: 350s</li>
	<li>Power: 240W</li>
	<li>Total Weight (cyclist+bike): 80kg</li>
	<li>a. Work = Power &times; Time ➡️ 240 &times; 350 = 84kJ</li>
	<li>b. Forward Force = Work &divide; Distance ➡️ 84 &times; 103 &divide; 1.5 &times; 103 = 56N</li>
	<li>c. The opposing forces are</li>
	<li>Weight acting down the slope = 80 &times; 9.8 &times; sin(3&deg;) = 41N. Imagine this as the weight trying to pull our cyclist buddy backward! 😅</li>
	<li>Resistive Force = Forward Force - Weight acting down = 56 - 41 = 15N (This is the universe&#39;s way of saying &quot;Not so fast!&quot;)</li>
</ul>

Example 5: Ski-Lift Scenario ⛷️

<ul>
	<li>Question: The tension in the ski lift cable when a skier is towed at 1.5ms-1&nbsp;with the ski lift cable at 60&deg; and work rate of 180W is...?

	<ul>
		<li>A. 60N</li>
		<li>B. 120N</li>
		<li>C. 180N</li>
		<li>D. 240N</li>
		<li>(Think about it. The tension is all about balancing forces.)</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

Example 6: The Locomotive Challenge 🚂

<ul>
	<li>If a locomotive starts from a standstill with constant power, how does its acceleration behave?</li>
	<li>A. Constant</li>
	<li>B. Increases over time</li>
	<li>C. Starts from zero and hits a max</li>
	<li>D. Starts max, then drops to zero</li>
	<li>(Hint: Think about how your bike behaves when you start pedaling from rest.)</li>
</ul>

Example 7: Car Physics Fun 🚗💨

<ul>
	<li>Car mass: 1600kg</li>
	<li>Acceleration: 2.5ms-2</li>
	<li>Resistive force: 500N</li>
	<li>a. Driving force = mass &times; acceleration + resistive force. (Remember: Force = Mass &times; Acceleration)</li>
	<li>b. i. Total work in 10s = Driving force &times; distance. ii. Average power = Work &divide; 10s</li>
	<li>c. Why must power increase to maintain constant acceleration? Think about our parachute analogy earlier.</li>
</ul>

Remember: The world of physics isn&#39;t just in textbooks; it&#39;s in every vehicle you see,

every hill you climb, and every ski trip you dream about!

&nbsp;

Happy studying! 🌌📚🔍

Key Factors Determining a Car's Maximum Speed

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Standard Level

Physics SL

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

Key Factors Determining a Car's Maximum Speed

Table of content

How cars reach max speed 🏎️

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

Key Factors Determining a Car's Maximum Speed

Table of content

How cars reach max speed 🏎️

Unlock the Full Content!