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Re: Friction



Dave,

I have to agree that I don't race my Honda Accord, but the front
(drive) wheels can easily be made to break loose from the pavement if I
attempt to accelerate too hard from a dead stop (particularly if the
pavement is wet). The car does not accelerate hardly at all with the
wheels spinning. Backing off the pedal a bit allows the wheels to
"catch" i.e. start rolling rather than spinning, and the acceleration is
very noticable. I suspect that behavior is the same for most "ordinary"
tires.

Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Physics Department
California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, California 92634

Phone: ++ (714) 773-3884
Fax: ++ (714) 449-5810
e-mail: mshapiro@fullerton.edu
World Wide Web URL: http://chaos.fullerton.edu/physics.html