Others have already discussed the role of the suspension in insuring that
no sudden application of the brakes can successfully halt the motion of
the car on an incline. Nevertheless, even sans suspension you'd feel a
jerk--and I'm *not* talking about Leigh. This, even if the brakes were
applied at the precise instant that v = 0.
One *can*, of course, bring a car to rest on level ground without any
noticeable jerk or subsequent oscillations by carefully, speed-dependently
applying the brakes. I've gotten pretty good at this as have others I
suspect without, perhaps, even knowing they are trying. It simply
requires easing off the brakes as the car comes to a stop so that the
acceleration smoothly approaches and reaches zero at the same time as the
velocity. Doing this works perfectly in theory in a suspensionless car.
It works well enough in a car with suspension as long as Leigh, er, I mean
the rate of change of the acceleration isn't too large and the shock
absorbers are doing their job adequately.
John
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A. John Mallinckrodt http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~ajm
Professor of Physics mailto:ajmallinckro@csupomona.edu
Physics Department voice:909-869-4054
Cal Poly Pomona fax:909-869-5090
Pomona, CA 91768-4031 office:Building 8, Room 223