Question

A physics professor is trying to flee a class of angry students by falling onto a moving freight train from the Howard and 26th St overpass. The train is y = −5 m below the overpass. It is moving at a velocity of v = 10 m/s. Taking the acceleration due to gravity to be g = −10 m/s^2, how far away should the train be before the professor falls from the overpass (and escapes the wrath of the students)?

Answer 1

The train should be a 10 meters away before the professor falls

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculation of the teacher's fall time:

`y(t)=v_(o)t-1/2*g*t^(2)`

in this case Vo=0 and y=-5:

`-5=-1/2*10*t^(2)`

`t=1s`

Calculation how far away is the train when the professor falls:

The distance the train travel while the professor is falling:

`d=v_(train)*t=10m/s*1s=10m`

So the train should be a 10 meters away before the professor falls