A hockey puck sliding on a frozen lake comes
to rest after traveling 272 m.
If its initial velocity is 3 m/s, what is its
acceleration (assumed constant)?
Answer in units of m/s2
a=v²/2s
To find the acceleration of the hockey puck, we can use the kinematic equation:
v^2 = u^2 + 2as
where,
v is the final velocity (which is 0 m/s since the puck comes to rest),
u is the initial velocity (given as 3 m/s),
a is the acceleration (what we need to find),
s is the distance traveled (given as 272 m).
Applying the equation and solving for acceleration (a), we have:
0^2 = 3^2 + 2a(272)
0 = 9 + 544a
Rearranging the equation:
544a = -9
a = -9/544 ≈ -0.0165 m/s^2
Therefore, the acceleration of the hockey puck is approximately -0.0165 m/s^2.