Question

A motorcycle sees a branch in the road, and hits the brakes, slowing down at -6.42m/s^2. If it takes him 2.85s to stop, what was his starting velocity

Answer 1

The initial velocity of the motorcycle is 18.29 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that,

When a motorcycle hits the brakes, its final speed becomes zero.

Acceleration of the motorcycle,
`a=-6.42\ m/s^2`

Time taken to stop, t = 2.85 s

We need to find the initial velocity of the motorcycle. The first equation of kinematics is given by :

`v=u+at\\\\-u=at\\\\u=6.42* 2.85\\\\u=18.29\ m/s`

So, the initial velocity of the motorcycle is 18.29 m/s.