The driver of a car is initially moving at a constant speed of 76.0 km/h when a traffic light turns red. If a 0.455 s reaction time is required before the brakes can be applied, what is the distance in meters traveled by the car before it begins to slow down?
167.03 meters
To calculate the distance traveled by the car before it begins to slow down, we need to take into account the initial speed of the car and the reaction time required before applying the brakes. Here's the step-by-step explanation of how to find the distance:
Step 1: Convert the initial speed from km/h to m/s.
To convert from km/h to m/s, divide the speed by 3.6 (since there are 3.6 seconds in 1 hour).
76.0 km/h ÷ 3.6 = 21.1 m/s (rounded to one decimal place).
Step 2: Calculate the distance covered during the reaction time.
The reaction time given is 0.455 seconds. Since the car is moving at a constant speed during this time, we can simply multiply the speed by the reaction time to find the distance covered.
21.1 m/s × 0.455 s = 9.61 meters (rounded to two decimal places).
Therefore, the car travels approximately 9.61 meters before it begins to slow down.