A Car is Being Towed – Free Body Diagram
Introduction
When a car is being towed, there are a number of forces acting on it. These forces include the force of gravity, the force of friction, the force of the tow rope, and the force of the towing vehicle. The free body diagram of a car being towed shows all of these forces acting on the car.
Free Body Diagram
The free body diagram of a car being towed is shown below.
The forces acting on the car are:
- Force of gravity (Fg): The force of gravity is the force that pulls the car down towards the ground. The force of gravity is equal to the mass of the car multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (g).
- Force of friction (Ff): The force of friction is the force that opposes the motion of the car. The force of friction is equal to the coefficient of friction between the tires of the car and the road multiplied by the normal force (Fn).
- Force of the tow rope (Ft): The force of the tow rope is the force that pulls the car forward. The force of the tow rope is equal to the tension in the tow rope.
- Force of the towing vehicle (Fv): The force of the towing vehicle is the force that pushes the car forward. The force of the towing vehicle is equal to the force of the engine of the towing vehicle.
Equilibrium
The car is in equilibrium when the sum of the forces acting on it is zero. This means that the force of gravity is equal to the force of the tow rope, and the force of friction is equal to the force of the towing vehicle.
$$sum F_x = m a_x$$
$$F_t – F_f = m a$$
$$sum F_y = m a_y$$
$$F_g – F_n = 0$$
Conclusion
The free body diagram of a car being towed shows all of the forces acting on the car. The car is in equilibrium when the sum of the forces acting on it is zero.
