Why do cars skid on icy roads?

Question

physics project.

would be awesome if you gave me SCIENTIFIC information, like about friction and stuff.

no c**p about elves and ice cream.

ok thank you so much.

you just might help me not fail physics this half term.

Answer 1

A third of all crashes happen on roads that are wet or frozen.

Frost, ice or snow on the road will reduce the grip of tires. This means you are much more likely to skid, and it can take up to 10 times further to stop than on a dry road.

If the road is wet, stopping distance doubles immediately. The faster you go, the longer it takes to stop. So the way to prevent skidding and reduce stopping distances is to slow down. Drive with the conditions in mind and brake gently in plenty of time.

Skids are caused by harsh handling of the vehicle; harsh braking, acceleration or steering. But their root cause is nearly always speed. So the best way to avoid getting into a skid is by slowing down.

If you do skid, the basic advice is to take your feet off all of the pedals, until the wheels grip once more. If you slam the brakes on, you will lock up the wheels and lose control of the vehicle.

Gentle braking will lessen the possibility of the wheels locking. If they do start to lock then the technique called cadence braking, when the brake pedal is pumped on and off, helps to keep wheel lock to a minimum. This is the principle that ABS (Antilock Braking System), fitted to some cars, works on. So if you have ABS, you will not need to pump your brake pedal.

At 30mph, in perfect weather, it will take you at least 23 meters (75 feet) to stop in an emergency. When wet, this may become 46 meters, and on ice nearly 230 meters.

Answer 2

The lateral g-force overcomes the friction of the tires against the road.

Answer 3

Skids on icy roads.....  problem is no friction (traction).

Skidding is caused by exceeding the capabilities of your tires to grip the highway surface.   Quite simply,  icy roads offer less grip than dry pavement.   Other factors include the amount of tire tread,  the weight distribution of the vehicle,  the speed of the vehicle (gives the tread less time to secure itself to the road surface),  and sudden moves which may serve to break the vehicle loose.

In short,  safe driving on icy roads means slowing down,  no sudden moves,  and often the adding of devices or other elements to aid traction (friction).   These devices include chains,  sand,  hay or straw,  or similar.   Salt or chemicals are often used to melt the ice and allow your tires to grip pavement.

Answer 4

no friction and you have to work out the mass relation to speed etc...