- #1
Sullivan
- 11
- 0
Have a very basic physics assignment due tomorrow, and am having trouble finding out an equation for one question.
Here is the problem. I'm sorry it's so basic. I've never done physics in my life. I find it beautiful and fascinating, but I am just starting out. I'd love if someone could give me a hand. I have a hard time sometimes deciphering word problems like these:
A pickup truck, traveling north at 144 km/h, overtakes and passes a police car traveling north at 28 m/s. Just as the pickup passes the police car, the car accelerates at 2.0 m/s2 until it catches up with the pickup.
Assuming the pickup does not speed up or slow down, calculate:
a) the time elapsed until the police car catches the pickup
b) the displacement of the police car and the pickup.
c) the final velocity of the police car
So we know the velocity of the pickup (p) to be 40 m/s, it's acceleration is 0, as it's velocity is constant, we don't know it's time or displacement.
The car's (c) initial velocity is 28 m/s, and it's final velocity is unknown. It's acceleration is 2.0 m/s2 and it's displacement is also unknown.
I've set t(p) = t(c), but every calculation I get has too many unknown variables, so I'm thinking substitution will be necessary. I just can't for the life of me figure out what that substition is. I'd really love some help on this. Thanks so much! I'll continue to work on this myself in the meantime. I thought maybe I could find time(p) by using the a=v/t equation, but since a=0, I get a division by zero.
Here is the problem. I'm sorry it's so basic. I've never done physics in my life. I find it beautiful and fascinating, but I am just starting out. I'd love if someone could give me a hand. I have a hard time sometimes deciphering word problems like these:
A pickup truck, traveling north at 144 km/h, overtakes and passes a police car traveling north at 28 m/s. Just as the pickup passes the police car, the car accelerates at 2.0 m/s2 until it catches up with the pickup.
Assuming the pickup does not speed up or slow down, calculate:
a) the time elapsed until the police car catches the pickup
b) the displacement of the police car and the pickup.
c) the final velocity of the police car
So we know the velocity of the pickup (p) to be 40 m/s, it's acceleration is 0, as it's velocity is constant, we don't know it's time or displacement.
The car's (c) initial velocity is 28 m/s, and it's final velocity is unknown. It's acceleration is 2.0 m/s2 and it's displacement is also unknown.
I've set t(p) = t(c), but every calculation I get has too many unknown variables, so I'm thinking substitution will be necessary. I just can't for the life of me figure out what that substition is. I'd really love some help on this. Thanks so much! I'll continue to work on this myself in the meantime. I thought maybe I could find time(p) by using the a=v/t equation, but since a=0, I get a division by zero.