- #1
Sean1218
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Homework Statement
A child is running at her maximum speed of 4.0 m/s to catch an ice-cream truck, which is stopped at the side of the road. When the child is 20 m from the truck, the ice-cream truck starts to accelerate away at a rate of 1.0 m/s^2. Does the child catch the truck?
Homework Equations
d = vt
d = v1t + 1/2at^2 + 20
The Attempt at a Solution
4t = 1/2(1)t^2 + 20
0 = 1/2t^2 - 4t + 20
I can't factor normally, and I get error (square root of negative number) when I use quadratic equation. What is this telling me? That the child doesn't catch the ice-cream truck? Why? or did I do something wrong?