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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
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Reply-To: rimey@ucbmiro.UUCP (Ken rimey)
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
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>	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