Question

You are on a school bus moving slowly as it approaches your house at 2.0 m/s. You get up and hurry to the front of the bus at 4.0 m/s relative to the bus. What is your speed relative to your street?

A. 6.0 m/s2 relative to the street
B. 8.0 m/s relative to the street
C. 2.0 m/s relative to the street
D. 6.0 m/s relative to the street

Answer 1

The speed of a person moving to the front of a bus that is approaching at 2.0 m/s, while walking at 4.0 m/s relative to the bus, is 6.0 m/s relative to the street.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are on a school bus moving slowly and you walk to the front of the bus at a speed of 4.0 m/s relative to the bus, and the bus itself is moving at 2.0 m/s relative to the street, to find your overall speed relative to the street, you simply add the two velocities together assuming they are in the same direction.

Your speed relative to the bus is 4.0 m/s, but since the bus is also moving forward, you need to account for its speed as well. Therefore, your total speed relative to the street would be the speed of the bus relative to the street plus your speed relative to the bus:

2.0 m/s (speed of bus relative to street) + 4.0 m/s (your speed relative to the bus) = 6.0 m/s

Thus, the correct answer is D. 6.0 m/s relative to the street.