burlapp car

150mph required

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At least…

Unfortunately, this is just an illustration. Not a new “fast lane only” freeway…

From the Dutch architect firm NL.

Conversation 9 comments

  1. can some physics guy tell us the real speed necessary for a car to stick to this? 150 seems to slow, but then are we talking a formula 1car or an 09 cts-v?

  4. It depends on the radius of the loop and the mass of the car. Centrifugal Force is found be the equation F=mv^2/R where m=mass, v=velocity, and R is the radius.

    We would want the force to at least generate the force due to gravity, F=mg (Force = mass * acceleration due to gravity) and probably more. Lets say we want to pull at least .5g at the top so that the car is still sticking to the road, plus 1 normal g, so F=1.5mg

    What is the radius that loop, 100 feet or so? We have R=100

    1.5mg = mv^2/R so the mass cancels out (we don’t have to worry about how heavy the car is)

    We want to find v, so 1.5g=v^2/100 simplifies to 100(1.5g) = v^2. G is a constant = 32.2 ft/s^2.

    4830 = v^2, take the root, ~69.5 ft/s

    That’s a little over 47 mph. Unless my physics equations are wrong, that seems easy enough to do.

  6. A little over 47 mph….ah..padawan..as you have stated in your comments it is the “Force” which you must find within yourself..may the “Force” be with you.

  7. Nathan, that sounds about right, but remember that 47mph would have to be maintained at the top of the loop to obtain the half G force keeping the tires on the concrete. Since the vehicle would probably lose speed in the ascent, it would have to enter the loop at maybe 100mph or more.

    Now, assuming this means a driver would average about 75mph thru the loop, he would complete the circle in about 5.71 seconds which gets them from the bottom to the top (and completely upside-down) in a shade under three seconds. Since the typical driver would have a cellphone pressed to her ear with her shoulder during this loop and an eyeliner pencil in her right hand, and a double-grande diet frappucino lite with extra caramel crunchy toppings in her left hand while applying a "baby on board" sticker to her window with her left foot and selecting a song on her iPod with her right little toe, it's going to be, like, totally way hella too difficult to, like, ya know, drive & stuff and, like, ya know like, keep your lane and all that, I mean, you know, like, life is just sooooooooo difficulllllt, and like Angelina's like adopting another kid so we're just all gonna have to like get new Prada luggage, y'know????? Tooooootalleeeeee!

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