Displacement of 1971 Dodge Challenger: 113m?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the displacement of a 1971 Dodge Challenger that accelerates while traveling at a specified velocity. The context is rooted in kinematics, specifically focusing on motion with constant acceleration.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply the kinematic equation for displacement but arrives at a different result than expected. Some participants question the nature of the car's motion, specifically whether it is speeding up or slowing down, and how this relates to the calculated displacement.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants exploring the implications of acceleration on the car's speed and displacement. There are differing interpretations of the results, and some guidance is offered regarding the relationship between acceleration and displacement.

Contextual Notes

The original poster expresses doubt about the accuracy of the homework sheet based on their calculations, which introduces a potential assumption that the provided answer may be incorrect. There is also a focus on the implications of constant acceleration versus constant speed.

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Homework Statement


"Find the displacement for a 1971 Dodge challenger that achieves a velocity of 112km/h [west], accelerating at 2.7m/s^2 [west] for 3.2 seconds."

v2 = final velocity
d = displacement
a = acceleration
t = time

Homework Equations


The equation I am given is this: d = v2t - 1/2at^2

The Attempt at a Solution


The answer I keep getting is approximately 85.4 but the homework is saying the answer is 113m [west].

This is how I am getting 85.4: d = 31 * 3.2 - 1/2 * 2.7 * 3.2^2
d = 99.2 - 13.8
d = 85.4

Coincidentally if you add instead of subtract both numbers, you get the 113m the question is saying the answer is. Am I right to assume that the homework sheet is incorrect?
 
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The dodge starts at 112kmph ... from the description, would you say the car is speeding up or slowing down?
Is your answer faster or slower than the starting speed?
 
Simon Bridge said:
The dodge starts at 112kmph ... from the description, would you say the car is speeding up or slowing down?
Is your answer faster or slower than the starting speed?
The car would be speeding up seeing as how their is a constant acceleration. So I would only assume you would end up faster than your starting speed
 
If the car was just going at a constant speed ... how far would it have gone?
Since the car is accelerating, would it go farther or not so far?
 
Last edited:

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