Final answer:
The car was traveling at a speed of 40 ft/s when the brakes were first applied.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the initial speed of the car when the brakes were first applied, we can use the kinematic equation:
v2 = u2 + 2as
where v is the final velocity (0 ft/s), u is the initial velocity (unknown), a is the deceleration (-8 ft/s2), and s is the distance traveled (100 ft).
Plugging in the values, we get:
0 = u2 + 2(-8)(100)
Simplifying, we have:
u2 = 1600
Taking the square root of both sides, we find:
u = 40 ft/s
Therefore, the car was traveling at a speed of 40 ft/s when the brakes were first applied.