Science - Physics Pt.3

Question 1

High range >0.15

Answer 1

1st offence - 18m

2nd offence - 2 yr

Question 2

Influence of drugs

Answer 2

1st offence - 9m
2nd offence - 12m

No automatic license suspension

Question 3

ABS - antilock brake system

Answer 3

Prevents wheels of vehicle locking under heavy braking - driver can steer while braking hard and avoid obstruction

Question 4

Anti-submarining seats

Answer 4

Hard seat pan or airbag under seat cushion to prevent slipping when under compression

Question 5

Traction control

Answer 5

System that detects wheel spin from too much power and cuts engine power or applies brakes to stop wheel spinning

Question 6

EBA - electronic brake assist

Answer 6

Detects whether the driver is emergency braking and applies full braking capability to minimise stopping distances

Question 7

Mid range 0.08-0.15

Answer 7

First offence - 9m

2nd offence - 12m

Question 8

Acceleration depends on power to weight (mass, actually) ratio. Here motorbikes win in two ways. (1)There is much less other mass; most of the mass is the engine itself. (2)A motorbike has almost ideal weight distribution in the sense that all weight can transfer to the back wheel during off-the-line acceleration. I rider leans forward to keep the front end down, but in a car, there remains lots of weight on the front wheels and traction is not ideal on the rear driving wheels. Front wheel drive is even worse.

Top speed depends upon power to aerodynamical drag force ratio. Here, cars win because they can be lower and have ideally-shaped bodies.

On cornering, cars win usually because it takes far more skill to corner a motorbike at the limit than a car. But even comparing ideally-skilled drivers, cars still edge out motorbikes because the rubber-road contact is more ideal. A motorbike tire must necessarily be rounded on cross-section to allow leaning, but in a car, the tire cross-section is flat, allowing more ideal contact.

Answer 8

Because Motorcycles have a much higher power to weight ratio. Motorcycles consist of pretty much an engine, wheels, a little pad for a seat, and some metal to hold it all together. Compare this to a car which has a bulky frame, heavy seats, all kinds of internal systems, a heavy transmission, etc. and you realize the difference. This is why a motorcycle with a .5 L engine can dominate cars with engines 3 times their size.