# Average Acceleration Question

## Homework Statement

"A bullet is fired through a 5.0 cm thick board of some material. The bullet strikes the board with a speed of 200 m/s, and emerges out the other end at 100 m/s.

## Homework Equations

a= (change in velocity)/(change in time)
average velocity = .5(initial v + final v)

## The Attempt at a Solution

a= (-100 m/s)/(.000333 seconds) = -300300 m/s^2
I found .000333s as the time it took for the bullet to pass through the board, using the average velocity of 150 m/s.

Is this correct?

SOLVED.

Last edited:

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Simon Bridge
ave speed = distance over change in time:$$\frac{d}{T} = \frac{1}{2}(v + u) \Rightarrow 2d = (v + u)T$$... using distace d, change in time T, final velocity v, initial velocity u.
acceleration is change in speed over change in time:$$a = \frac{v - u}{T} \Rightarrow v = aT + u$$
Soooo... combining them:$$2d = \big ( (aT + u) + u\big )T = aT^2 +2uT \Rightarrow d = uT + \frac{1}{2}aT^2$$... which you will recognize as a kinematic equation.