Question

A car travelling at 40 m/s comes to a halt in 8 seconds. What is the car’s acceleration and how far does it travel while it is stopping?

Answer 1

Answer: Acceleration = 5m/s^2; Distance traveled = 320 m

Explanation:

Velocity of car = 40m/s

Time taken = 8 seconds

Acceleration = ?

Distance traveled = ?

A) Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity per unit time

i.e acceleration = velocity / time

acceleration = 40m/s / 8 seconds

Acceleration = 5m/s^2

B) To get how far the car traveled before stopping, obtain the distance from the formula:

velocity = distance traveled / time

40m/s = distance / 8 seconds

Distance = 40m/s x 8 seconds

Distance = 320 m

Thus, the car’s acceleration is 5m/s^2 while it traveled 320 metres before stopping.