What happens to momentum when you enter a curve?

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Multiple Choice

What happens to momentum when you enter a curve?

When you enter a curve, your car’s momentum makes it want to keep going straight. To follow the curve, the tires must push toward the center of the turn, providing the inward (centripetal) force needed for circular motion. Because inertia resists changes in motion, you feel as though you’re being pushed outward—the so-called centrifugal effect. In other words, momentum shows up as an outward sensation in the turning frame, while the actual force turning the car comes from the tires pushing inward to change direction.

When you enter a curve, your car’s momentum makes it want to keep going straight. To follow the curve, the tires must push toward the center of the turn, providing the inward (centripetal) force needed for circular motion. Because inertia resists changes in motion, you feel as though you’re being pushed outward—the so-called centrifugal effect. In other words, momentum shows up as an outward sensation in the turning frame, while the actual force turning the car comes from the tires pushing inward to change direction.

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