How long does it take for the train to stop moving?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the stopping distance of a train traveling at 20 m/s with a constant deceleration of -1.0 m/s². It is established that the train takes 20 seconds to stop, during which it travels a total distance of 200 meters. The participant initially struggled with the equations of motion but ultimately grasped the concept of average speed and kinematic relationships, leading to a correct understanding of the problem. The relevant equations of motion were referenced for further study.

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Homework Statement


a train is traveling down a straight track at 20m/s when the engineer applies the brakes resulting in an acceleration of -1.0m/s^2 as long as the train is in motion. how far does the train move durin g a 40 second time interval starting at the instant the brakes are applied?


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The Attempt at a Solution


I'm new to physics and have no idea what to do. i keep getting zero when i plug it into the formula. also...i know that the train eventually stops before 40 seconds and doesn't travel anywhere...but how do i incorporate that into the equation?
 
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How long does it take for the train to stop moving?
 
i think it takes 20 seconds...but I'm not so sure.
 
That's correct. If you're not sure, review the definition of acceleration.
 
okay...so if it takes 20 seconds for the train to stop moving...doesn't that mean it travels for a total of 210 meters?
 
How did you deduce that? (Always show your work.)
 
i'm using common sense for the problem but i don't know what equation to use to get the answer of 200 meters. i just did 20+19+18+...+1+0=210 meters.
 
blader324 said:
i'm using common sense for the problem but i don't know what equation to use to get the answer of 200 meters. i just did 20+19+18+...+1+0=210 meters.
Commonsense is OK if you can justify it. What do those numbers mean? 20 = ?; 19 = ?...

If you are thinking that the train travels 20 m in the first second, etc., that's not quite correct. Hint: What's the average speed during the first second?

I suspect you should be learning some kinematic relationships.
 
thanks so much...i figured it out...and finally understand what I'm doing with all my other homework problems!
 

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