Question

Find the magnitude of acceleration (ft/s^2) a person experiences when he or she is texting and driving 58mph, hits a wall, and comes to a complete stop .24 seconds after impact.

Answer 1

350 ft/s²

Step-by-step explanation:

First, convert mph to ft/s.

58 mi/hr × (5280 ft/mi) × (1 hr / 3600 s) = 85.1 ft/s

Given:

v₀ = 85.1 ft/s

v = 0 ft/s

t = 0.24 s

Find: a

v = at + v₀

a = (v − v₀) / t

a = (0 ft/s − 85.1 ft/s) / 0.24 s

a = -354 ft/s²

Rounded to two significant figures, the magnitude of the acceleration is 350 ft/s².