Will the car make it in?

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by boiler

Is this possible?

Yes, a car can get IN to the truck, but I'm assuming you don't want the car to end up trough the wall and into the cab of the truck right? You want it to STAY in? lol

OK, here we go.

Well, some people know that I suck in physics (taken the class like 4 times and still haven't passed) so.. I'm just going to give a common sense reply.

Assuming you are on a highway and the tractor trailer truck is going 60mph:

If car is going double the speed of the truck, then it won't work because the car will not be able to stop in the truck in time (would have to do 60-0 in about 60ft.. (an average trailer is 53' long + the ramp)

If the car is going 60mph then it won't work as well, cause the car would just be pacing the truck behind it.

But, I think it would work if you are going ~10 mph over the truck's speed, and you will have enough time to go up the ramp and stop before you hit the end of the front of the trailer (behind cab) and it will work.

I think having a front wheel drive car, as opposed to a rear wheel drive car would impact these results differently as well.

If you have a front wheel drive car, those will catch the ramp first, and shoot you in the truck at a different rate, and with more time to slow down than a rear wheel drive car.

If you have front wheel drive, you can get the front wheels on the ramp.. and hit the front brakes, and you will be on the ramp and stopped. but rear wheels will still be rolling off the ramp (on the ground). so.. then you can just use that front wheel drive to go 10mph up the ramp and into the truck.

It would be a lot harder doing it with rear wheel drive, cause as soon as your wheels hit the ramp you are doing 60mph on a static surface (ramp into truck).

I think this would be a good mythbusters episode btw.

OK, so.. anyone want to throw in some "real" physics data to back me up, or strike my theory down?