Question

A spacecraft is traveling with a velocity of +3250 m/s. Suddenly the retrorockets are fired, and the spacecraft begins to slow down with an acceleration whose magnitude is 10.0 m/s2. How far does the spacecraft travel until it comes to a momentary halt?

Answer 1

Answer;

= 528 km

Explanation;

Assuming the question is how far would you be from the asteroid when your relative velocity is zero.  

The time taken to stop is 3250/10 = 325 secs  

and your average velocity is 3250/2  

So, the distance traveled is 3250 * 325 /2 = 528 km  

Alternatively;

- if you started with v^2 = 2as  

to get s = v^2/(2a) you get exactly the same calculation and of course the same result.