Motorcycle Safety

A person, of mass m m , traveling on an indestructible motorcycle, of mass M M , at a constant speed of v v collides elastically with an indestructible car that is not moving; what is the furthest this person will land from the motorcycle?

Details and Assumptions:

  • To make the problem easier assume there is no resistance and disregard the possible height difference between the feet and the ground.
  • Assume the motorcyclist launches at an angle θ = π / 4 \theta = \pi/4 .
x f = M 2 v 2 g m 2 x_{ f }=\frac { M^{ 2 }v^{ 2 } }{ gm^{ 2 } } x f = v 2 ( M + m ) g m x_{ f }=\frac { v^{ 2 } (M+m) }{ gm} x f = ( M + m ) v g m x_{ f }=\sqrt { \frac { (M+m)v }{ gm } } x f = M v g m x_{ f }=\frac { Mv }{ gm }

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2 solutions

Charles White
Jul 26, 2015

First Use Conservation of Kinetic Energy to Determine the Persons Velocity as he is Projected off the Motorcycle: K E i = K E f 1 2 ( M + m ) v 2 = 1 2 m v 2 v ( M + m ) m = v KE_{ i }=KE_{ f }\\ \quad \frac { 1 }{ 2 } (M+m)v^{2}=\frac { 1 }{ 2 } mv'^{ 2 }\\ \quad \quad v\sqrt{\frac { (M+m) }{ m } }=v' Then determine the amount of time the person is in the air: y f = y i + v i t + a t 2 2 a = g ; v i = v s i n θ ; y i y f = 0 0 = 0 + v t s i n θ g t 2 2 v s i n θ = g t 2 t = 2 v s i n θ g \\ y_{ f }=y_{ i }+v_{ i }t+\frac { at^{ 2 } }{ 2 } \\ \quad a=-g;v_{ i }=v'sinθ;y_{ i }y_{ f }=0\\ \quad \quad 0=0+v'tsin⁡θ-\frac { gt^{ 2 } }{ 2 } \\ \quad \quad \quad v'sin⁡θ=\frac { gt }{ 2 } \\ \quad \quad \quad \quad t\quad =\quad \frac { 2v'sin⁡θ }{ g } Now determine the horizontal distance of the person from the motorcycle: x f = x i + v i t + a t 2 2 v i = v c o s θ ; x i a = 0 x f = 0 + v c o s θ ( 2 v s i n θ g ) + 0 t 2 2 x f = v 2 s i n 2 θ g \\ x_{ f }=x_{ i }+v_{ i }t+\frac { at^{ 2 } }{ 2 } \\ \quad v_{ i }=v'cos⁡θ;x_{ i }a=0\\ \quad \quad x_{ f }=0+v'cos⁡θ(\frac { 2v'sin⁡θ }{ g } )+\frac { 0t^{ 2 } }{ 2 } \\ \quad \quad \quad x_{ f }=\frac { v'^{ 2 }sin⁡2θ }{ g } Finally, Plug in all known variables and solve then simplify: θ = π 4 = 45 ° x f = v 2 s i n π 2 g x f = ( v ( M + m ) m ) 2 g x f = v 2 ( M + m ) g m \\ θ\quad =\quad \frac { π }{ 4 } \quad =\quad 45°\\ \quad x_{ f }=\frac { v'^{ 2 }sin\cfrac { π }{ 2 } }{ g } \\ \quad \quad x_{ f }=\frac { (v\sqrt{\frac { (M+m) }{ m } } )^{ 2 } }{ g } \\ \quad \quad \quad x_{ f }=\frac { v^{ 2 }(M+m) }{ gm }

Moderator note:

How can it be the case that energy is conserved but momentum is not?

Is it because of the impulsive force that we cannot conserve momentum along x axis?? Btw nice solution did the Same way

Utkarsh Tiwari - 5 years, 10 months ago

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Thanks for your feedback! Excellent question! I think your question may lead to another problem I will post later, I'll keep you updated.

Charles White - 5 years, 10 months ago

I think momentum is conserved, but I don't use it to solve this problem. Since we already have the projection angle all we need is the velocity the cyclist is going while in the air, that's why I use KE to find the magnitude of that velocity. . . What do you think, good or bad?

Charles White - 5 years, 10 months ago

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but momentum conservation does not lead to the same answer

Utkarsh Tiwari - 5 years, 10 months ago

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So my Idea is, prior to the collision there is inertia in the front wheel, the collision causes the front wheel to stop, causing the bike to rotate, and when the cyclist reaches the projection angle the cyclist releases. The calculations to prove this are a little tedious so I am doing it, but it will take some time, I'll keep you posted.

Charles White - 5 years, 10 months ago

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@Charles White This seems perfect!!! thanks for replying.

Utkarsh Tiwari - 5 years, 10 months ago
Pranav Rao
Jan 9, 2016

In collisions we cannot say that energy is conserved always. I think that the distance that we get by this method is the limiting case, the person cannot land any further but he may land before completing this distance.

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