A car is going 55mph on the highway. What is the acceleration and momentum of it
To calculate the acceleration of the car, we would need to know the time it takes for the car to change its speed. However, if we assume that the car is travelling at a constant speed of 55mph, then the acceleration would be zero because there is no change in velocity.
As for momentum, we need to know the mass of the car. Momentum (p) is calculated by multiplying the mass (m) of an object by its velocity (v). If we assume a mass of 1,000 kilograms for the car, the momentum can be calculated as follows:
Momentum = Mass x Velocity
Momentum = 1,000 kg x 55 mph
However, we need to convert the speed from miles per hour (mph) to meters per second (m/s) for consistency in units.
1 mile = 1,609.34 meters
1 hour = 3,600 seconds
So, the conversion factor would be:
1 mph = 1,609.34 meters / 3,600 seconds
Converting the velocity to meters per second:
55 mph = 55 x (1,609.34 / 3,600) m/s
55 mph ≈ 24.587 m/s
Now, we can calculate the momentum:
Momentum = 1,000 kg x 24.587 m/s
Momentum ≈ 24,587 kg·m/s
Therefore, the momentum of the car would be approximately 24,587 kg·m/s.