Question

In the Daytona 500 auto race, a Ford Thunderbird and a Mercedes Benz are moving side by side down a straightaway at 71.5 m/s. The driver of the Thunderbird realizes that she must make a pit stop, and she smoothly slows to a stop over a distance of 250 m. She spends 5.00 s in the pit and then accelerates out, reaching her previous speed of 71.5 m/s after a distance of 350 m. At this point, how far has the Thunderbird fallen behind the Mercedes Benz, which has continued at a constant speed?

Answer 1

957.4845 m

Step-by-step explanation:

t = Time taken

u = Initial velocity

v = Final velocity

s = Displacement

a = Acceleration

`v^2-u^2=2as\\\Rightarrow a=(v^2-u^2)/(2s)\\\Rightarrow a=(0^2-71.5^2)/(2* 250)\\\Rightarrow a=-10.2245\ m/s^2`

`v=u+at\\\Rightarrow t=(v-u)/(a)\\\Rightarrow t=(0-71.5)/(-10.2245)\\\Rightarrow t=6.993\ s`

Time taken by the thunderbird to stop is 6.993 seconds

Time the thunderbird was at the pit is 5 seconds

`v^2-u^2=2as\\\Rightarrow a=(v^2-u^2)/(2s)\\\Rightarrow a=(71.5^2-0^2)/(2* 350)\\\Rightarrow a=7.3\ m/s^2`

`v=u+at\\\Rightarrow t=(v-u)/(a)\\\Rightarrow t=(71.5-0)/(7.3)\\\Rightarrow t=9.79\ s`

Time taken to accelerate back to 71.5 m/s is 9.79 seconds

Total time to this point is 6.993+5+9.79 = 21.783 seconds

The Mercedes Benz is moving at a constant velocity hence it has no acceleration and we use the formula

Distance = Speed × Time

⇒Distance = 71.5 × 21.783 = 1557.4845 m

The thunderbird has covered 250+350 = 600 m

So, the distance between them is 1557.4845-600 = 957.4845 m