Motion - Overtaking Vehicles question

In summary, the car is trying to overtake a truck while maintaining a speed of 90km/hr. It needs to be 15m in front of the truck to do so, and the truck is traveling at 60 km/hr. An oncoming vehicle traveling at 90km/hr is 400m away from the overtaking vehicle. Using the equation L / (Vb - Va), where L is the distance, Vb is the velocity of the vehicle trying to overtake, and Va is the velocity of the car being overtaken, it can be determined that it will take the car 5.4 seconds to overtake the truck. However, the distance the car travels in those 5.4 seconds and the
  • #1
Dreaam
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Homework Statement



A car is traveling 15m behind a 15m long truck. The speed limit is 90km/hr. But the truck is traveling at 60 km/hr. the car wants to overtake the truck, and when it does, it reaches speed of 90km/hr and has to be 15m in front of the truck in order to do this. The car will be parallel with the truck (I think it means beside it in a 2 lane road). However an oncoming vehicle traveling at 90km/hr is 400m away from the vehicle. Should the vehicle overtaking overtake or not?

Homework Equations



L / (Vb - Va)

Where L is the distance, and Vb is the velocity of the vehicle trying to overtake, and Va is the velocity of the car that is being overtaken (in this instance the truck).

The Attempt at a Solution



I began with:

60 km/h = 16.67 m/s
90 km/h = 25 m/s

Therefore:
Time to overtake = L / (Vb - Va)
= (15 + 15 + 15) / (25 - 16.67)
= 5.4 seconds

That's all I could do. Sorry this topic is new to me and my exam is tomorrow. The teacher handed us practice questions without solutions on our last lesson. All help would greatly be appreciated.
 
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  • #2
What is the distance the car travels in those 5.4 seconds? What is the distance the other car travels in that time?
 

1. What is overtaking in terms of motion?

Overtaking in terms of motion refers to a situation where one moving object passes another object traveling in the same direction at a slower speed.

2. What are the factors that affect overtaking?

The factors that affect overtaking include the speed and acceleration of both objects, the distance between them, and any obstacles or road conditions that may impact the maneuver.

3. Is overtaking safe?

Overtaking can be safe if it is done with caution and following proper traffic rules and regulations. It is important to assess the situation and consider the speed and distance between vehicles before attempting to overtake.

4. What are some common mistakes to avoid while overtaking?

Some common mistakes to avoid while overtaking include not checking blind spots, not using turn signals, not maintaining a safe distance from the other vehicle, and not accounting for the speed and distance of other oncoming vehicles.

5. Can overtaking lead to accidents?

Yes, overtaking can lead to accidents if not done carefully and following traffic laws. It is important to always assess the situation and make sure it is safe to overtake before attempting the maneuver.

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