Question

A college professor who shall remain anonymous rides a Vespa and occasionally goes too fast over speed bumps. If the radius of curvature for a particular speed bump is 4 m, what is the maximum speed the Vespa can make (in miles per hour) at the top of the speed bump without causing the professor to leave contact with the scooter as it goes over the bump? Model the scooter and professor (not quite realistically) as a single object moving at a given velocity over the bump. If at that speed, the professor were also accelerating or braking, would it change whether the Vespa stayed in contact with the bump?

Answer 1

If professor were accelerating at this point, velocity will increase and vespa will lose contact.

If professor were decelerating at this point, velocity will decrease and vespa will not lose contact.