the speed of the train increased from 15 mi/hr to 25 mi/hr in distance of 500 ft. calculate the average acceleration in ft/s^2
To calculate the average acceleration in feet per second squared (ft/s^2), we need to first convert the initial and final speeds from miles per hour (mi/hr) to feet per second (ft/s).
1 mile = 5280 feet
So, the initial speed of 15 mi/hr can be converted to feet per second as follows:
15 mi/hr * (5280 ft/1 mi) * (1 hr/3600 s) = 22 ft/s
Similarly, the final speed of 25 mi/hr can be converted to feet per second as follows:
25 mi/hr * (5280 ft/1 mi) * (1 hr/3600 s) = 36.7 ft/s (rounded to one decimal place)
Next, we can calculate the change in speed by subtracting the initial speed from the final speed:
Change in speed = Final speed - Initial speed
= 36.7 ft/s - 22 ft/s
= 14.7 ft/s
Since we also have the distance traveled, which is given as 500 feet, we can now calculate the average acceleration (a) using the formula:
Average acceleration = Change in speed / Time
Since no time is given in the question, we cannot determine the exact average acceleration without knowing the time it took for the train to change its speed. Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of speed over a period of time.