Question

Two cars, initially 12 meters apart, zip towards one another at the speeds shown. At what point will the collision occur? Explain how you arrived at your answer. Car A: 1.4m/s car B: 2.2m/s

Answer 1

Answer:

s₁ = 4.67 m from car A

Explanation:

Since, the cars are moving at a constant speed. Hence, we will apply the equation for uniform motion here:

s = vt

where,

s = distance covered

v = velocity

t = time taken

For Car A:

s₁ = (1.4 m/s)t

For Car B:

s₂ = (2.2 m/s)t

Because the time will be same at the collision. At collision the distance covered by Car A and Car B must be 12 m altogether. Hence:

s₁ + s₂ = 12 m

using values:

(1.4 m/s)t + (2.2 m/s)t = 12 m

t = 12 m/3.6 m/s

t = 3.333 s

Substitute this in the equation of s₁:

s₁ = (1.4 m/s)(3.33 s)

s₁ = 4.67 m from car A