Physics Rotational & Circular Motion KU 2024
PMDC Verified Question 9 of 95
A car is moving in a circular path at a constant speed. What provides the necessary centripetal force to keep the car moving in this path?
A
The car's inertia resisting any change in direction
B
The car's mass pulling it towards the centre of the circle
C
The engine's power pushing the car forward
D
The friction between the tyres and the road
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option D: The friction between the tyres and the road
Concept:

Centripetal force must be provided by a real, physical interaction. Without a physical force pulling sideways, an object will move in a straight line.

Solution:

  • When a car turns its wheels, the rubber of the tires attempts to slide sideways across the asphalt.
  • The microscopic grip of the road opposes this slide.
  • This grip is the static friction between the tires and the road, and it pushes horizontally inward toward the center of the curve, providing the required centripetal force.


Why other options are incorrect:

  • Option A tries to go straight, which actively opposes circular motion.
  • Option B describes gravity, which pulls straight down, not sideways.
  • Option C provides forward tangential velocity, not inward turning force.

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

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