How Long Does Tara Have Before She Crashes?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a scenario where Tara is driving at a speed of 27 m/s and encounters a car ahead of her traveling at 10 m/s, with visibility limited to 30 meters due to fog. The discussion centers on determining the time before a potential collision occurs if Tara does not apply the brakes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the known variables such as speeds and distances, with one participant attempting to calculate the time until a crash by analyzing the positions of both vehicles over time. Others question whether there is a simpler method to approach the problem without detailed calculations.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem and considering various approaches to find a solution. Some guidance has been offered regarding the necessary variables, but no consensus has been reached on the best method to solve the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of the problem as presented, including the limited visibility and the speeds of both vehicles. There is an emphasis on understanding the dynamics of the situation rather than arriving at a definitive answer.

thehatchetmen
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Tara is driving at 27 m/s through a fog that limits her visibility to 30m. She suddenly sees a car in front of her traveling in the same direction at 10 m/s. if she fails to apply the brakes, how much time does she have between seeing the car and crashing into it?


how do you do this question?
 
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You know her speed, and you know the distance between the two vehicles when she sees it. You also know the speed of the vehicle ahead. You have everything that you need. What do you need to derive to determine the elapsed time?
 
Since the second car only could have be seen 30m ahead he is starting 30m, and Tara starts with 0. Then after the first second Tara is at 27m and the second car is at 40m. At the 2nd second the second car is at 50m and Tara is at 54m, meaning she would have crashed at about 2 seconds
 
Last edited:
Think. Is there another way to simplify this problem without calculating the actual positions of the vehicles at each unit of time?
 

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