If your bus leans toward the outside on a banked curve, this indicates you are driving:

If your bus leans toward the outside on a banked curve, this indicates you are driving:

• A. Too slow
• B. Too fast
• C. Balanced
• D. Underinflated tires

Answer: (B)

On a banked curve, the road is tilted toward the inside to help the vehicle turn smoothly by creating an inward component of force. When you’re traveling at the designed speed, the combination of gravity and the road’s normal force provides the right amount of inward pull, and the vehicle stays fairly balanced with only a gentle lean toward the inside. If you go faster than that design speed, your inertia wants to keep moving in a straight line. The inward force from the bank can’t fully supply the needed turning force, so you feel pushed outward relative to the curve. That outward push shows up as the bus leaning toward the outside edge of the curve, signaling you’re driving too fast for that bank angle.

On a banked curve, the road is tilted toward the inside to help the vehicle turn smoothly by creating an inward component of force. When you’re traveling at the designed speed, the combination of gravity and the road’s normal force provides the right amount of inward pull, and the vehicle stays fairly balanced with only a gentle lean toward the inside.

If you go faster than that design speed, your inertia wants to keep moving in a straight line. The inward force from the bank can’t fully supply the needed turning force, so you feel pushed outward relative to the curve. That outward push shows up as the bus leaning toward the outside edge of the curve, signaling you’re driving too fast for that bank angle.