Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 13: Problem 11

Why is critical damping desirable in a car's suspension?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Critical damping is desirable in a car's suspension system because it prevents oscillations after a shock, bringing the car back to its equilibrium position as quickly as possible. This guarantees passenger comfort, minimizes wear on the vehicle, and enhances vehicle safety by ensuring a controlled and stable ride.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Critical Damping

Think about the concept 'Critical Damping'. It refers to a type of damping that prevents oscillations by providing the exact level of friction necessary to stop an object from oscillating back and forth – essentially, it brings an object to rest as quickly as possible without oscillations.
02

Critical Damping and Cars' Suspensions

Relate this concept to a car's suspension system. The role of the suspension system in a car is to absorb shocks from the road and maintain contact of the wheels with the ground, providing stability, good handling, and ensuring the comfort for the occupants within the car. When a car goes over a bump, its suspension system has to absorb the shock efficiently and stop the car from bouncing and oscillating. It is here that the principle of Critical Damping becomes important.
03

Benefits of Critical Damping

Understand why critical damping is desirable in this context. By being critically damped, the car's suspension system will absorb shocks from the road quickly and bring the car back to its equilibrium position as quickly as possible without oscillating. This is crucial because it enhances passenger comfort, minimizes wear and tear on the vehicle's parts, and enhances the overall safety of the vehicle by providing a controlled and stable ride.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

The total energy of a mass-spring system is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy: \(E=\frac{1}{2} m v^{2}+\frac{1}{2} k x^{2} .\) Assuming \(E\) remains constant, differentiate both sides of this expression with respect to time and show that Equation 13.3 results. (Hint: Remember that \(v=d x / d t .)\)

An object undergoes simple harmonic motion in two mutually perpendicular directions, its position given by \(\vec{r}=A \sin \omega t \hat{\imath}+\) A cos wit. (a) Show that the object remains a fixed distance from the origin (i.e.. that its path is circular), and find that distance. (b) Find an expression for the object's velocity. (c) Show that the speed remains constant, and find its value. (d) Find the angular speed of the object in its circular path.

At the heart of a grandfather clock is a simple pendulum \(1.45 \mathrm{m}\) long; the clock ticks each time the pendulum reaches its maximum displacement in either direction. What's the time interval between ticks?

You're working on the script of a movie whose plot involves a hole drilled straight through Earth's center and out the other side. You're asked to determine what will happen if a person falls into the hole. You find that the gravitational acceleration inside Earth points toward Earth's center, with magnitude given approximately by \(g(r)=g_{0}\left(r / R_{\mathrm{E}}\right),\) where \(g_{0}\) is the surface value, \(r\) is the distance from Earth's center, and \(R_{\mathrm{E}}\) is Earth's radius. What do you report for the person's motion, including equations and values for any relevant parameters?

What happens to the frequency of a simple harmonic oscillator when the spring constant is doubled? When the mass is doubled?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Oscillations

Read Explanation

Medical Physics

Read Explanation

Modern Physics

Read Explanation

Atoms and Radioactivity

Read Explanation

Electric Charge Field and Potential

Read Explanation

Wave Optics

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free