Final answer:
A tractor-trailer traveling at 55 mph requires a significant stopping distance, likely exceeding 200 feet, to come to a complete stop. Calculations based on typical stopping scenarios suggest option (d) 400 feet is a realistic choice for the minimum required distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether a tractor-trailer traveling at a speed of 55 mph requires more than 100, 150, 200, or 400 feet to stop, we need to account for factors like the truck's velocity, stopping acceleration, and the driver's reaction time. In the provided reference situation, a truck traveling at 10 m/s with an acceleration of -1.25 m/s2 and a reaction time of 0.5 seconds needs to stop without hitting a child 50 meters away. The stopping distance is calculated by adding the distance the truck travels during the driver's reaction time to the distance it takes to come to a stop once the brakes are applied.
Using the formula d = v0t + (1/2)at2 for the stopping distance where v0 is the initial velocity, t is the time, and a is the acceleration, we can calculate that the total distance the truck covers is indeed greater than 100, 150, and 200 feet. Since a tractor-trailer at 55 mph (24.6 m/s) would require even more distance to stop due to its higher velocity, it is fair to infer that the correct answer is more than 200 feet, making option (d) 400 feet a likely possibility for the minimum required stopping distance in real-world conditions.