How fast will the car be traveling at that instant?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on a physics problem involving an automobile and a truck, where the automobile accelerates at 2.3 m/s² from a traffic light while the truck travels at a constant speed of 9.6 m/s. To determine when the automobile overtakes the truck, the key equations used are the distance formulas for both vehicles: the car's distance is calculated using s_car = 0.5 * a * t², and the truck's distance is s_truck = v * t. The solution requires finding the time at which both distances are equal, leading to the conclusion that the automobile will eventually overtake the truck.

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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding motion dynamics, particularly in scenarios involving acceleration and constant speed. It is also useful for those preparing for physics exams or tackling real-world applications of kinematics.

machinegun
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At the instant the traffic light turns green, an automobile starts with a constant acceleration a of 2.3 m/s2. At the same instant a truck, traveling with a constant speed of 9.6 m/s, overtakes and passes the automobile.
(a) How far beyond the traffic signal will the automobile overtake the truck?

(b) How fast will the car be traveling at that instant?

Not exactly sure how to set the problem up. Like exactly how does the truck's speed help find the answer? I know I need to find the time it took to figure out the rest. I'm just missing something in the the question that will help set up the problem.
 
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You're looking for two equal distances where the time is also the same:

scar = .5 * at2 = struck = vt
 

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