Finding time given acceleration and velocity

[stacerho]

I am having troubles with a physics question. I can't figure out what formula to use to solve the following question:

Particle A passes a point with an initial velocity of 14.3 m/s and an acceleration of 4.15 m/x^2. Particle B has a 46 m head start at 7.85 m/s with an acceleration of 2.68 m/s^2. At what time will A pass B? Answer in units of s.

Any suggestions.

 

[cristo]

Have you come across the kinematic equations for constant acceleration? Which one of these do you think you should use, considering the variables you are given?

 

[m2003]

Based on the given information, it seems like this question involves calculating the time it takes for Particle A to catch up to Particle B. To do this, we can use the formula t = (v - u)/a, where t is the time, v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, and a is the acceleration. In this case, we can set up two equations, one for Particle A and one for Particle B, and then equate them to solve for t.

For Particle A, we have t = (v - u)/a, where v = unknown, u = 14.3 m/s, and a = 4.15 m/x^2. We can rearrange this equation to solve for v, giving us v = at + u.

For Particle B, we have t = (v - u)/a, where v = 7.85 m/s, u = 46 m, and a = 2.68 m/s^2. We can again rearrange this equation to solve for v, giving us v = at + u.

Now, we can equate these two equations to get at + u = at + u. We can then simplify this to get a = a(t - t) + u - u. This simplifies to 0 = at - at - u + u, which gives us t = t. This means that the time it takes for Particle A to catch up to Particle B is t = t, or simply t = 0.

In conclusion, the two particles will meet at the starting point, meaning that Particle A will pass Particle B at t = 0 seconds. I hope this helps with your question and provides some guidance on what formula to use. Remember to always carefully read the question and identify what information is given and what is being asked for. Good luck!