Final answer:
Braking distance is determined by factors such as the vehicle's initial speed, the road conditions, and the driver's reaction time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The braking distance is the distance a vehicle travels from the time the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop. It is influenced by several factors, including the initial speed of the vehicle, the road conditions, and the driver's reaction time. When calculating braking distance, we consider the distance covered by the vehicle before the driver hits the brakes and the distance it takes to stop after braking begins.
An example would be a car traveling at 30.0 m/s under dry road conditions. With a reaction time of 0.500 seconds, we can calculate how far the car travels during the driver's reaction time and then add that to the stopping time. Reaction time significantly contributes to the overall distance traveled before the vehicle stops. A car will generally take a longer distance to stop on wet pavement compared to dry pavement because of decreased friction.