On a railway curve, the outside rail is laid higher than the inside one so that resultant force exerted on the wheels of the rail car by the tops of the rail will:
Correct answer: C. Equilibrate the centripetal force
- A. Have a horizontal inward component
- B. Be vertical
- C. Equilibrate the centripetal force
- D. Be decreased
Explanation
The explanation is given below: When a train or railcar goes around a curve, it experiences a centripetal force directed towards the center of the curve. This centripetal force is required to keep the train moving along the curved track. To achieve this, the outer rail is laid higher than the inner rail. The elevated outer rail helps in two ways: Compensating for the tendency to overturn: When a train moves around a curve, there is a natural tendency for it to want to move outward (away from the center of the curve) due to inertia. By elevating the outer rail, the resultant force on the wheels has a horizontal component that acts inward, counteracting the outward tendency and preventing the train from derailing. Balancing the centripetal force: The elevated outer rail helps balance the centripetal force acting on the train. This force is necessary to keep the train moving in a curved path. By tilting the track, the gravitational force acting on the train has a component that also contributes to the centripetal force, helping to keep the train on the track.
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