Miata Mailing List: November 1998, Message #0

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But also remember, when your wheels hit that ramp, it take ALOT less force
to make the wheels slow down than the car speed up.  I really don't think
the car would go shooting through the truck; more like a previous lister
pointed out, it would probably stall out unless you had the clutch in.


Nathan Ramsey
-----Original Message-----
From: H. M. Harvey <hank@grove.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <miata@realbig.com>
Date: Saturday, October 31, 1998 7:43 AM
Subject: Re: Physics question


>I've seen this done in several movies.  Would seem to me that as soon as
>your driving wheels hit the ramp you would be moving at 70 mph *within* the
>truck.  Your absolute ground speed would be (your 70 mph) + (trucks 60 mph)
>for a total of 130 mph discounting any slippage or whatever.  How fast can
>you brake to a stop from 70mph?  Hope it isn't any more then the length of
>the truck bed.
>
>Hank
>'91 Silver B
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill Kellenberger <bkellenb@mail.win.org>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <miata@realbig.com>
>Date: Saturday, October 31, 1998 01:09
>Subject: Physics question
>
>
>>I've wondered about this for a long time, and now there's a commercial on
>>TV that just brought it back to mind.  You're driving down the highway in
>>your Miata (required Miata content) at 70 MPH, and there's a truck in
front
>>of you, with a ramp extended to the road, doing 60 MPH.  You close in on
>>the truck and drive up the ramp.  The ramp/truck are going 60, you're
going
>>70, but the floor of the truck under your wheels is not moving.  Do you
>>rocket out the front of the truck at 130 MPH (combined speed of car and
>>truck), go through at 10 MPH (the differential), or what happens?  The
>>commercial shows a car driving up a ramp onto an airplane, but the
>>principle is the same.  Since physics (I assume that is the correct
science
>>to answer the question) was not one of my strong suits...help me out here!
>>
>>Bill Kellenberger & Dino
>>'90  Red  R-4RE
>>Team Escargot
>>Gateway Miata Club
>>http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/4560
>
>
>