Is it possible to accurately approximate the speed of a passing car while standing in the
protected front hall of the school?
Task: Determine how fast cars are passing the front of the school. You may only go
outside to measure the distance from where you are standing to the road. All
other measurements must be taken from inside the building (I want you to stay
warm and dry!). Make sure to clearly explain your process to gauge the speed of
passing cars and submit all of your work!
Well, if you were a boat navigator you would use the 45 degree trick.
Measure that distance from you to that road. That distance, d, should be perpendicular to the road. Now look 45 degrees right (or left). The distance along the road to that point on the road from your original point is that same d (45,45, 90 triangle so d, d and d sqrt 2)
so now you know the distance between those two points on the road without ever going to the second one. Now you just time the car between points and speed = distance/time
We use that in reverse to see how far from the lighthouse we are. (45 off bow, 90, distance travelled = distance off land.
Yes, it is possible to accurately approximate the speed of a passing car while standing in the protected front hall of the school. Here's how you can do it:
1. Measure the distance from where you are standing in the front hall to the road. This can be done by going outside for a brief moment and using a measuring tape or a measuring wheel. Let's say the measured distance is "d" meters.
2. Determine the time it takes for a car to cover that distance. To do this, you will need a stopwatch or a timer. When a car enters your field of view from the side, start the timer. Stop the timer when the car passes a reference point, such as a lamppost or a specific spot on the road directly in front of you. Record the time in seconds.
3. Calculate the speed of the car using the formula: speed = distance / time. In this case, the distance is "d" meters and the time is the result from step 2 in seconds. Make sure to convert the distance to meters if it was measured in a different unit (e.g. feet). The resulting speed will be in meters per second.
For example, let's say the distance to the road (d) is 20 meters and the time it took for a car to pass the reference point was 5 seconds. The speed of the car can be calculated as follows:
speed = distance / time
speed = 20 meters / 5 seconds
speed = 4 meters per second
Therefore, the approximate speed of the passing car is 4 meters per second.
Remember, this method provides a rough approximation of the car's speed, as it relies on human reaction time and the accuracy of your measurements.