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You are traveling at 50 km/h on a dry road. It takes 35 meters to stop. How will the braking distance change if the road is wet?

(a) The braking distance will increase to more than 35 meters.
(b) The braking distance will decrease to less than 35 meters.
(c) The weather conditions will not affect the braking distance.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The braking distance will increase to more than 35 meters on a wet road due to a lower rate of deceleration than on a dry road.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are traveling at 50 km/h on a dry road, and it takes 35 meters to stop, then the braking distance will change if the road is wet. On wet pavement, the car has less traction, which increases the braking distance due to a lower coefficient of friction between the tires and the road surface. This concept is backed by the physics of deceleration. For example, on dry concrete, a car can decelerate at a rate of 7.00 m/s², whereas on wet concrete, the deceleration rate drops to only 5.00 m/s², according to a physics example regarding stopping distances. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) The braking distance will increase to more than 35 meters.

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