Which has more acceleration when moving in a straight line—a car increasing its speed from 33 to 51 km/h, or a bicycle that goes from zero to 18 km/h in the same time
what is larger?
(51-33) or (18-0) ?
Or perhaps they are the same. Mmmmh
To determine which has more acceleration, we need to calculate the acceleration of both the car and the bicycle. Acceleration is calculated using the formula:
Acceleration (a) = (Final Velocity (v) - Initial Velocity (u)) / Time (t)
Let's first calculate the acceleration of the car:
Given:
Initial Velocity (u) of the car = 33 km/h
Final Velocity (v) of the car = 51 km/h
Time (t) taken to increase the speed = same as the time taken by the bicycle
To convert the velocities from km/h to m/s, we need to multiply by (1000 m / 3600 s):
Initial Velocity (u) of the car = 33 km/h × (1000 m / 3600 s) ≈ 9.17 m/s
Final Velocity (v) of the car = 51 km/h × (1000 m / 3600 s) ≈ 14.17 m/s
Now, we can calculate the acceleration of the car:
Acceleration (a) of the car = (Final Velocity (v) - Initial Velocity (u)) / Time (t)
Next, let's calculate the acceleration of the bicycle:
Given:
Initial Velocity (u) of the bicycle = 0 km/h
Final Velocity (v) of the bicycle = 18 km/h
Time (t) taken to increase the speed = same as the time taken by the car
Converting the velocities to m/s:
Initial Velocity (u) of the bicycle = 0 km/h × (1000 m / 3600 s) = 0 m/s
Final Velocity (v) of the bicycle = 18 km/h × (1000 m / 3600 s) ≈ 5 m/s
Now, we can calculate the acceleration of the bicycle:
Acceleration (a) of the bicycle = (Final Velocity (v) - Initial Velocity (u)) / Time (t)
Compare the calculated accelerations to determine which is greater.