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this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
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Assuming nothing breaks (unlikely), you could potentially calculate it by calculating the energy stored in the engine/axle spinning. We know that energy must be conserved, so the energy after hitting the ground must be converted into heat and kinetic energy (of the car), with some energy left in the axle to keep it spinning.
I don't know enough about car parts but it seems feasible to at least estimate an answer given enough information
Good approach. Start with the momentum of the rotational masses, assume no suspension (to make the math simpler).
My guess, a few feet. There's surprisingly little momentum in all those components compared to the mass of the vehicle.
I agree. And initially it's going to burn a little rubber, which won't contribute to forward motion.
"surprisingly" is a strong word; cars are designed to have as small of a rolling mass as possible, because it's much harder to stop than simple dead weight.
Just as a fun guess I would say it would move a feet assuming the engine was turned off as it hit the ground.
Otherwise if the engine was running it would just idle away at a few MPH.
Assuming it wasn't a manual, burned rubber down to 0mph, and then just stalled out XD