Forces and breaking

• What are the potential dangers of large decelerations?

  Loss of control and brake overheating
• What is the stopping distance of a car composed of?

  Thinking distance plus braking distance
• How does speed affect braking distance?

  Higher speed increases braking distance significantly
• What is the formula for calculating kinetic energy?

  Kinetic energy = $\frac{1}{2}mv^2$
• How does kinetic energy change with velocity?

  Kinetic energy quadruples if velocity doubles
• What happens to kinetic energy when a car brakes?

  Kinetic energy converts to thermal energy
• What causes the temperature of the brakes to increase?

  Friction between brake and wheel
• What is required to stop a car traveling at high speeds?

  A large braking force is needed
• What can result from applying a large braking force?

  Brakes may overheat and cause loss of control
• How do you calculate the force needed for deceleration?

  Multiply mass by acceleration
• What are the energy changes during vehicle braking?

  • Kinetic energy converts to thermal energy
  • Friction between brake and wheel increases temperature
  • High speeds require larger braking forces
• What factors affect the forces involved in vehicle deceleration?

  • Mass of the vehicle
  • Initial speed of the vehicle
  • Time taken to decelerate