Why is it smoother?

Question

why is it smoother if you drive over a speed bump fast then if you go over it slow???

i drive through a side street almost everyday to get back home after school. i sometimes drive fast over speed bumps and its very smooth, but going slow its not

i no its not really good for the car

(is it ok if its an SUV or truck meant for off-roading??)

Answer 1

inertia and momentum

higher speed means more of both forces which reduce the speed-bump induced upward acceleration

Answer 2

It depends on how big the speed bump is, as well as how wide it is. Some speed bumps are skinny and tall, and if you hit them at high speed they jack the front and rear wheels up into the wheel wells before the body of the car has a chance to rebound, so even though the tires deflect upwards, the car itself doesn't. this plays havoc with the suspension and the tires. It is an extreme shock that can damage parts and blow tires. It is never ever a good idea to hit a speed bump fast. Then there's those speed bumps that are really wide, like a ramp up the front and a ramp down the back. These are easier to hit at high speed, because the tires don't deflect upward as fast, so it's much easier on your tires and your suspension. However, they are harder to drive slower over, because the car tends to deflect upward with the tires, and it also tends to come down farther and bottom out on the speed bump. That's why you see way more of the wide speed bumps with scrape damage to them. Speed bumps are Satan's idea.

Answer 3

Going fast over the bump, the suspension compresses and decrompresses before the force of the compressed suspension forces the car up (which you in the car would feel). Go slow over the bump, the compressed suspension forces the frame of the car up, which you would feel.

Although off-road SUVs or trucks might be more resiliant,  going fast over the bump will cause unnecessary stress on the tires and suspension system.