Question

A commuter train traveling at 50 mi/h is 3 mi from a station. The train then decelerates so that its speed is 15 mi/h when it is 0.5 mi from the station. Knowing that the train arrives at the station 7.5 min after beginning to decelerate and assuming constant decelerations, determine (a) the time required for the train to travel the first 2.5 mi, (b) the speed of the train as it arrives at the station, (c) the final constant deceleration of the train.

Answer 1

Answer:

a) $t = 277.477\,s\,(4.625\min)$, b) $v_{f} = 0\,\frac{mi}{h}$, c) $a = -0.128\,\frac{ft}{s^{2}}$

Explanation:

a) The deceleration experimented by the commuter train in the first 2.5 miles is:

$a=\frac{[(15\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,mi} )\cdot (\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )]^{2}-[(50\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,mi} )\cdot (\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )]^{2}}{2\cdot (2.5\,mi)\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,mi} )}$

$a = -0.185\,\frac{ft}{s^{2}}$

The time required to travel is:

$t = \frac{(15\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,fi} )\cdot(\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )-(50\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,fi} )\cdot(\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )}{-0.185\,\frac{ft}{s^{2}} }$

$t = 277.477\,s\,(4.625\min)$

b) The commuter train must stop when it reaches the station to receive passengers. Hence, speed of train must be $v_{f} = 0\,\frac{mi}{h}$.

c) The final constant deceleration is:

$a = \frac{(0\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,mi} )\cdot(\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )-(15\,\frac{mi}{h} )\cdot (\frac{5280\,ft}{1\,mi} )\cdot(\frac{1\,h}{3600\,s} )}{(2.875\,min)\cdot (\frac{60\,s}{1\,min} )}$

$a = -0.128\,\frac{ft}{s^{2}}$