Question

You can play catch with a softball in a bus moving with constant speed on a straight road, just as though the bus were at rest. Is this still possible when the bus is making a turn at constant speed on a level road? Why or why not?

Short answer

You won’t be able to play softball like you would when the bust is moving at a constant velocity and the reason for it is explained.

Step-by-step solution

Inertia

The body’s tendency to stay moving once set in motion or at rest to remain at rest is called inertia. So when a car suddenly stops, the passenger who tends to stay in motion will move forward relative to the seats until the inertia of the passenger is completely stopped.

Uniform circular motion

An object moving in a circular motion with constant speed is said to be in a uniform circular motion. The object has a tangential velocity whose direction is perpendicular to the centripetal acceleration, causing it to move in the circular path.

In the given case, a bus rounds a corner on a level road; the centripetal force makes the bus travel in a curved path. The speed is constant but velocity is changing, hence accelerating. But you are in a state of inertia of moving in a particular direction. As a result, you as well as the softball will resist the change in the direction of the motion, and therefore you and the softball will tend to move outward to one side opposite the centripetal force. The softball will move toward one side even if it is thrown straight up. As a result, you won’t be able to play softball like you would when the bust is moving at a constant velocity.