Car A vs Car B 0-100mph Race: Who Wins?

[Matty T]

car A & car B do 0-60mph in 4.3secs & 4.8secs respectively.
both do 0-100mph in 11.6secs

?in a straight line race from standstill which car would be in front & by how much when they hit 100mph?

 

[Chen]

Are we to assume that the acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is constant, and that the acceleration from 60 mph to 100 mph is constant (but different)?

Anyway, you can solve this problem with one formula:
$$V_f^2 = V_0^2 + 2ax$$
$$a = \frac{V_f - V_0}{t}$$
$$x = \frac{V_f^2 - V_0^2}{2\frac{V_f - V_0}{t}} = \frac{t}{2}(V_f + V_0)$$

Part 1: When the cars hit 60mph, car A will be at 57.6 meters and car B will be at 64.4 meters.
Part 2: Car A's acceleration from 60 to 100 takes 7.3 seconds, whereas car B's takes only 6.8 seconds. The distance car A will pass between 60mph and 100mph is 261 meters, whereas car B will only pass 243.2 meters.

The total distance of car A is 318.6 meters, and the total distance of car B is 307.6. So car A will be in front of car B by 11 meters when they both hit 100 mph.

Of course, I'm not sure I'm right and I'm probably not.

 

[GSXR750]

Based on the information provided, it is likely that Car A would be in front when they hit 100mph. This is because Car A has a faster acceleration time from 0-60mph, which indicates that it has a more powerful engine and can reach higher speeds quicker. However, the difference in acceleration times between the two cars is only 0.5 seconds, which may not necessarily translate to a significant lead for Car A when they hit 100mph. The difference in speed at 100mph would depend on various factors such as the drivers' skills, the conditions of the race track, and the overall performance of each car. Therefore, it is difficult to determine exactly how much of a lead Car A would have over Car B when they hit 100mph in a straight line race.