Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!ucbmiro!rimey From: rimey@ucbmiro.ARPA (Ken Rimey) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: Question... [On tilt-meters in off-road vehicles] Message-ID: <10041@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Tue, 20-Aug-85 22:23:42 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10041 Posted: Tue Aug 20 22:23:42 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 04:01:20 EDT References: <29@decwrl.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ucbvax.ARPA Reply-To: rimey@ucbmiro.UUCP (Ken rimey) Organization: U.C. Berkeley Lines: 29 > If the truck won't roll going around a corner on the flat ground > with the tilt meter indicating 25 degrees, does that mean if it > is stationary on the side of a hill with the guage reading 25 > degrees it won't roll? If not, is there any correlation at all > between the two? I seem to remember from physics classes in long > forgotten years that gravity and acceleration were indistinguishable, > but that was MANY years ago. > > -- Ken Bates Yes, it is a fundamental principle that acceleration and gravity are indistinguishable. It seems to me that the tilt reading at which two wheels will leave the ground is independent of whether you are turning or traversing a slope. On the other hand, I can think of a few differences that come into play once you are on two wheels. First, if you are turning a corner, you may be able to straighten the wheel before you actually flip. More interesting from a physics point of view is the observation that turning involves ROTATION as well as acceleration. The truck will behave to some degree like a gyroscope. This effect translates an outward tipping torque into additional weight on the front wheels. Perhaps other readers will care to estimate the importance of this effect. Ken Rimey rimey@berkeley