If a car goes from 0 to 100 mph in six seconds with constant acceleration, what is that acceleration?
let the acceleration be a
then
v = at + c
when t=0, v=0 , so c = 0
v = at
when t=6 , v = 100
100 = 6a
a = 100/6 = 50/3
the acceleration is (50/3 mph) / sec
To find the acceleration, we first need to understand the equation for constant acceleration. The equation is:
v = u + at
where:
- v is the final velocity
- u is the initial velocity
- a is the acceleration
- t is the time
In this case:
- The initial velocity, u, is 0 mph because the car starts from rest.
- The final velocity, v, is 100 mph because the car goes from 0 mph to 100 mph.
- The time, t, is 6 seconds, as given in the question.
So the equation becomes:
100 = 0 + a * 6
Now, let's solve for the acceleration, 'a':
Divide both sides of the equation by 6:
100/6 = a
Simplifying, we get:
16.67 = a
Therefore, the acceleration of the car is approximately 16.67 mph/s.