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Motion with constant acceleration – problems and solutions

1. A car accelerates from rest to 20 m/s in 10 seconds. Determine the car's acceleration!
Solution
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 0 (rest)
Time interval (t) = 10 seconds
Final velocity (vt) = 20 m/s
Wanted : Acceleration (a)
Solution :
vt = vo + a t
20 = 0 + (a)(10)
20 = 10 a
a = 20 / 10

a = 2 m/s2
[irp]

2. A car is decelerating from 30 m/s to rest in 10 seconds. Determine car's acceleration.


Solution
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 30 m/s
Final velocity (vt) = 0
Time interval (t) = 10 seconds
Wanted : acceleration (a)
Solution :
vt = vo + a t
0 = 30 + (a)(10)
- 30 = 10 a
a = - 30 / 10

a = -3 m/s2
The negative sign appears because the final velocity is less than the initial velocity.
[irp]
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3. A car starts and accelerates at a constant 4 m/s2 in 1 second. Determine speed and
distance after 10 seconds.
Solution
(a) Speed

Acceleration 4 m/s2 means speed increase 4 m/s every 1 second. After 2 seconds, car's
speed is 8 m/s. After 10 seconds, car's speed is 40 m/s.
(b) Distance
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 0
Final velocity (vt) = 40 m/s

Acceleration (a) = 4 m/s2


Wanted : Distance
Solution :

s = vo t + ½ a t2 = 0 + ½ (4)(102) = (2)(100) = 200 meters


[irp]

4. A car travels at a constant 10 m/s, then decelerates at a constant 2 m/s 2 until rest.
Determine time elapsed and car's distance before rest.
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 10 m/s

Acceleration (a) = -2 m/s2 (The negative sign appears because the final velocity is less
than the initial velocity)
Final velocity (vt) = 0 (rest)
Wanted : Time interval and distance
Solution :
(a) Time interval (t)
vt = vo + a t
0 = 10 + (-2)(t)
0 = 10 – 2 t
10 = 2 t
t = 10 / 2 = 5 seconds
(b) Distance
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vt2 = vo2 + 2 a s

0 = 102 + 2(-2) s
0 = 100 – 4 s
100 = 4 s
s = 100 / 4 = 25 meters
[irp]

5. A car travels at 40 m/s, decelerates at a constant 4 m/s 2 until rest. Determine speed
and distance after decelerating in 10 seconds!
Solution
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 40 m/s

Acceleration (a) = -4 m/s2


Time interval (t) = 10 seconds
Wanted : final velocity (vt) and distance (s)
Solution :
(a) Final velocity
vt = vo + a t = 40 + (-4)(10) = 40 – 40 = 0 m/s
0 m/s means car rest.
(b) Distance

s = vo t + ½ a t2 = (40)(10) + ½ (-4)(102) = 400 + (-2)(100) = 400 – 200 = 200 meters


[irp]

6. Determine distance after 10 seconds!

Solution
Distance : s = v t = (10-0)(5-0) = (10)(5) = 50 meters
7. Determine distance after 4 seconds!
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Solution
Distance = square area + triangular area
Distance = (8-0)(8-0) + ½ (16-8)(8-0) = (8)(8) + ½ (8)(8) = 64 + 32 = 96 meters
8. Determine car's distance after 4 seconds!
Solution

Distance = triangular area = ½ (4-0)(8-0) = ½ (4)(8) = 16 meters


9. A car moves at 90 km/h past a police car that stops by the side of the road. One
minute later, the police car chases at 0.8 m/s2. How far the police car reaches the car?
Known :
The speed of car (v) = 90 km/hour = 90,000 meters / 3600 seconds = 25 meters/second
Time interval (t) = 1 minute = 60 seconds

Acceleration of police's car (a) = 0.8 m/s2


Initial velocity of police's car (vo) = 0 m/s
Wanted : Distance traveled by police's car
Solution :
The car moves at a constant velocity. Distance traveled by the car :
Initial distance :
s = v t = (25)(60) = 1500 meters
Final distance :
s = v t = (25)(t)
Total distance = 1500 + 25 t
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Police's car moving at a constant acceleration. Distance traveled by police's car :

s = vo t + ½ a t2 = (0)(t) + ½ (0.8)(t2) = 0 + 0.4 t2 = 0.4 t2


When the police's car reaches the the car, distance traveled by police's car same as
distance traveled by the car.
Distance traveled by car = distance traveled by police's car

1500 + 25 t = 0.4 t2

0.4 t2 – 25 t – 1500 = 0
Use quadratic formula :

Distance traveled by police's car :

s = 0.4 t2 = (0.4)(1002) = (0.4)(10,000) = 4000 meters = 4 km


10. A car moves at a constant 24 m/s brakes so that it has a constant deceleration of
0.952 m/s2. Determine the speed of the car after a distance of 250 meters.
Known :
Initial velocity (vo) = 24 m/s

Acceleration (a) = - 0.952 m/s2 (negative signed because deceleration)


Distance (d) = 250 meters
Wanted : Car's speed after 250 meters
Solution :
Known : initial speed (vo), acceleration (a), distance (d), wanted : final speed (v t) so use
the equation of vt2 = vo2 + 2 a d
vt = final velocity, vo = initial velocity, a = acceleration, d = distance
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vt2 = (24)2 + (2)(-0.952)(250)

vt2 = 576 – 476

vt2 = 100
vt = √100
vt = 10 m/s

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