Question

A van slows down as it travels up a steep hill. Its speed goes from 20m/s at the bottom of the hill to 12m/s when it reaches the top 8 seconds later. How far has the van travelled between the bottom and the top of the hill?

Answer 1

The van's AVERAGE speed on the way up the hill is

(1/2) (20 + 12) = (1/2) (32) = 16 m/s .

At an average speed of 16 m/s, it travels

(16 m/s) x (8 s) = 128 meters in 8 seconds.