A railroad flatcar is traveling at the speed of 13.0 m/s relative to an observer standing on the ground. Someone is riding a motor scooter on the flatcar. What is the velocity(magnitude and direction)of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar if its velocity relative to the observer on the ground is
a) 8.0 m/s to the right?
b) 2.0 m/s to the left?
c) zero?
What is the direction of flatcar motion? You need to say what it is.
(c) If the scooter has has zero
velocity relative to the ground, it is going
at the flatcar velocity but in the opposite direction, relative to the flatcar.
sef
To determine the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar, we need to consider the velocities of both the flatcar and the motor scooter relative to the observer on the ground.
a) When the motor scooter's velocity relative to the observer on the ground is 8.0 m/s to the right:
To find the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar, we subtract the velocity of the flatcar from the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the observer on the ground.
Velocity of motor scooter relative to flatcar = Velocity of motor scooter relative to the observer on the ground - Velocity of flatcar relative to the observer on the ground
= 8.0 m/s to the right - 13.0 m/s to the right
= -5.0 m/s to the right
Therefore, the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar is 5.0 m/s to the right.
b) When the motor scooter's velocity relative to the observer on the ground is 2.0 m/s to the left:
Using the same process as above, we subtract the velocity of the flatcar (-13.0 m/s to the right) from the velocity of the motor scooter (-2.0 m/s to the left).
Velocity of motor scooter relative to flatcar = Velocity of motor scooter relative to the observer on the ground - Velocity of flatcar relative to the observer on the ground
= -2.0 m/s to the left - (-13.0 m/s to the right)
= -2.0 m/s to the left + 13.0 m/s to the right
= 11.0 m/s to the right
Therefore, the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar is 11.0 m/s to the right.
c) When the motor scooter's velocity relative to the observer on the ground is zero:
The velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar will also be zero. This means that the motor scooter is stationary or not moving relative to the flatcar.
Therefore, the velocity of the motor scooter relative to the flatcar is zero.