The driver of a car is initially moving at a constant speed of 71.8 km/h when a traffic light turns red. If a 0.550 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?
71.8km/hr * .550s = 39.49km-s/hr * 1hr/3600s * 1000m/km = 10.97m
To find the distance traveled by the car before it begins to slow down, we need to calculate the distance covered during the reaction time.
First, let's convert the initial speed from km/h to m/s:
71.8 km/h = 71.8 * 1000 m/3600 s ≈ 19.944 m/s (rounded to three decimal places)
Next, we can calculate the distance covered during the reaction time using the formula:
Distance = Speed * Time
Given:
Reaction time = 0.550 s
Speed = 19.944 m/s
Distance = 19.944 m/s * 0.550 s
Distance ≈ 10.969 m (rounded to three decimal places)
Therefore, the car travels approximately 10.969 meters before it begins to slow down.
To find the distance traveled by the car before it begins to slow down, we can use the formula:
distance = speed * time
First, let's convert the speed from km/h to m/s:
71.8 km/h * (1,000 m / 1 km) * (1 h / 3,600 s) = 19.944 m/s
Next, we need to consider the reaction time of 0.550 s. During this time, the car continues to move at a constant speed:
distance = speed * time
distance = 19.944 m/s * 0.550 s = 10.9692 m
Therefore, the car travels approximately 10.9692 meters before it begins to slow down.