Question

You are in your car driving at 20m/s. You need to pass a slow moving truck on the freeway. You accelerate at a constant rate of 0.13 m/s² for 4 seconds as you pass the truck. What distance do you cover during this time?

Answer 1

The car accelerates at a constant rate for 4 seconds, covering a distance of 81.04 meters during this time.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the distance covered by a car accelerating at a constant rate, we can use the kinematic equation:

s = ut + ½at²

where:

• s is the distance covered in meters (m)
• u is the initial velocity in meters per second (m/s)
• a is the acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s²)
• t is the time in seconds (s)

Given the initial velocity u = 20 m/s, acceleration a = 0.13 m/s², and time t = 4 s, we can plug these values into the equation:

s = (20 m/s)(4 s) + ½(0.13 m/s²)(4 s)²

s = 80 m + 0.5 * 0.13 m/s² * 16 s²

s = 80 m + 1.04 m

s = 81.04 m

The car covers a distance of 81.04 meters while passing the truck.