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Your car is initially moving at 16.8 m/s when you hit the brakes, and the car begins to slow down. The car has a mass of 621 kg, and the coefficient of friction between the tires and the road is 0.7. Please calculate the time needed to stop the car and the distance it covers during this process.

User Qeadz
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Final answer:

The student can calculate the time and distance needed for a car to stop using the mass of the car, the initial speed, and the coefficient of friction, applying equations of motion and Newton's laws.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the time and distance necessary for a 621 kg car initially moving at 16.8 m/s to stop, we'll use the coefficient of friction between the tires and the road (0.7) and the equation of motion. The force due to friction (F) can be calculated using F = μ * m * g, where μ is the coefficient of friction, m is the mass of the car, and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²). Once we've found the force, we can find the acceleration (a) by using Newton's second law, F = m * a. To find the deceleration a = F / m.

The deceleration a = (0.7 * 621 kg * 9.81 m/s²) / 621 kg = 0.7 * 9.81 m/s². Now, we can find the time (t) taken to stop using the equation v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, and a is the acceleration. After rearranging, t = (v - u) / a.

With the car stopping, v = 0, so t = (0 - 16.8 m/s) / (-0.7 * 9.81 m/s²). The negative signs indicate deceleration. Finally, we can calculate the stopping distance using the equation s = ut + (1/2)at².

By calculating these values, we can provide the time to stop and the distance covered, demonstrating important principles of physics and motion.

User Eugene Mala
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