Car passing two markers, kinematics question

In summary, the group discussed using equations to solve for velocity and how to verify the accuracy of their solutions. They also mentioned using average velocity as an alternative approach. The final answer was determined to be 14.605 m/s using the average speed between the markers. The other approach involved finding v0 using the acceleration and the speed at the middle time.
  • #1
orangegalaxies
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16
Homework Statement
A car accelerates at 1.80m/s2 along a straight road. It passes two marks that are 28.1m apart at times t=3.75s and t=5.00s. What was the car's velocity at t=0?
Relevant Equations
d = V1t + 0.5at^2
V2 = V1 + at
i calculated the time difference between each marker, and using the first equation, i solved for V1.
i then used this V1 as V2, time as the first marker (3.75) and used the second equation to solve for V1.

is this method correct? can somebody please verify?
 
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  • #2
looks right.
 
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  • #3
Yes, your method seems correct to me too.
 
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  • #4
Delta2 said:
Yes, your method seems correct to me too.
that's a relief! would you please mind sharing your answer with me so i can verify mine?
 
  • #5
orangegalaxies said:
that's a relief! would you please mind sharing your answer with me so i can verify mine?
Using the average velocity is another way to solve this problem.
 
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  • #6
PeroK said:
Or, you could use ##d = \frac 1 2 at^2## and get an equation for ##a## in terms of the difference in positions and difference in times that you are given.
14.605 m/s?
 
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  • #7
orangegalaxies said:
14.605 m/s?
Bingo!
 
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  • #8
orangegalaxies said:
14.605 m/s?
The other approach is that average speed between the markers is ##22.48 m/s## (which is ##28.1m## in ##1.25s##), which (for constant acceleration) must equate to the speed at the middle time ##4.375s##.

Then, you can get ##v_0## from this and the acceleration.
 
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FAQ: Car passing two markers, kinematics question

How is the distance between the two markers calculated?

The distance between the two markers is calculated by finding the difference between the position of the car when it passes the first marker and the position of the car when it passes the second marker.

What is the equation for calculating the speed of the car?

The equation for calculating the speed of the car is speed = distance/time. In this case, the distance between the two markers is divided by the time it takes for the car to pass them.

How does the time it takes for the car to pass the two markers affect its speed?

The time it takes for the car to pass the two markers directly affects its speed. The shorter the time, the faster the car is moving.

What is the difference between average speed and instantaneous speed?

Average speed is the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken, while instantaneous speed is the speed at a specific moment in time. In this scenario, the average speed would be calculated using the total distance between the two markers and the total time taken to pass them, while the instantaneous speed would be the speed of the car at the moment it passes each marker.

How does the acceleration of the car affect its speed?

The acceleration of the car affects its speed by changing the rate at which the car's velocity changes. If the car accelerates, its speed will increase, and if it decelerates, its speed will decrease.

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