Average acceleration of Suzie stopping with roller blades

In summary, Suzie (52kg) was rollerblading at 36mph when she encountered workers blocking her path. She made a quick stop in 1.9 seconds. Her average acceleration was 8.47 m/s^2 and the force exerted to stop her was 440.45 N. The conversion from miles to meters was done correctly but the number of significant figures should be rounded off.
  • #1
rr92890
5
0
Suzie (of mass 52kg) is roller blading down the sidewalk going 36 mph. She notices a group of workers down the walkway who have unexpectedly blocked her path, and she makes a quick stop in 1.9 seconds. What is Suzies average acceleration? Answer in m/s^2. What force was exerted to stop Suzie? Answer in N.



I had converted miles to meters and divided it by the time in order to get the average, but the answer was incorrect. and for the second question I had multiplied the average by the weight, but that was also incorrect.
 
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  • #2
rr92890 said:
I had converted miles to meters and divided it by the time in order to get the average, but the answer was incorrect.
That part sounds right. Show exactly what you did.
and for the second question I had multiplied the average by the weight, but that was also incorrect.
That's not quite correct.
 
  • #3
did you convert hours to seconds? Aavg = delta V / delta t; so what you did should work..
 
  • #4
I changed 36 miles per hour to .01 miles per second which converts to 16.09344 meters per second. I divided that by 1.9 which equals 8.470231579 as the average acceleration. Then for the second part 8.470231579*52 = 440.4520421 N as the force exerted. I'm pretty sure that is what I did.
 
  • #5
Your answers are perfectly correct. (Except for the unrealistic number of significant figures carried. Round off your final answers.)
 
  • #6
thank you!
 

What is the definition of average acceleration?

Average acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over a given time period. It is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the time it took for that change to occur.

How is average acceleration measured?

Average acceleration is typically measured in meters per second squared (m/s²) or feet per second squared (ft/s²). It can also be measured in other units, such as kilometers per hour squared (km/h²) or miles per hour squared (mi/h²).

Can you explain the concept of average acceleration using Suzie's roller blade example?

Suzie's average acceleration while stopping with roller blades can be calculated by dividing the change in her velocity (from her initial speed to her final speed of 0) by the time it took for her to come to a stop. This gives us an idea of how quickly her velocity changed over the given time period, which can help us understand her overall performance and potential areas for improvement.

Is there a difference between average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration?

Yes, there is a difference between average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration. Average acceleration is calculated over a given time period and gives an overall idea of an object's change in velocity. Instantaneous acceleration, on the other hand, is the acceleration of an object at a specific moment in time and can vary throughout an object's motion.

How can average acceleration be used in real-life applications?

Average acceleration can be used in various real-life applications, such as analyzing the performance of athletes in sports or the acceleration of vehicles in traffic. It can also be used in engineering to design and improve the efficiency of machines and structures. Additionally, understanding average acceleration can help predict and prevent potential accidents or injuries in various industries.

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