Final answer:
The amperage lag distance refers to the distance a car travels during the driver's reaction time, which must be added to the braking distance to determine the total stopping distance. The example demonstrates how to calculate these distances using speed, deceleration rate, and reaction time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amperage lag distance at 55 mph on dry pavement adds a significant distance to your stopping distance. When a driver needs to stop their vehicle in an emergency, two distances should be considered: the distance traveled during the driver's reaction time, and the actual braking distance. The example provided indicates that, on dry concrete, a car can decelerate at a rate of 7.00 m/s². If the driver is traveling at 30.0 m/s and has a reaction time of 0.500 seconds, the vehicle will continue to travel at this speed during the reaction time. Therefore, the distance covered during the reaction time (30.0 m/s × 0.500 s) would be 15 meters. This reaction distance must be added to the braking distance to get the total stopping distance.
To determine the total stopping distance at a certain speed, it is necessary to convert the speed to meters per second, calculate the stopping distance using the deceleration rate, and then add the distance traveled during the reaction time.