Motion with constant acceleration

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving two cars traveling at constant speeds along a straight road, with one car starting behind the other. The participants are exploring how to determine the distance car A will travel before car B overtakes it and the position of car B relative to car A after overtaking.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are discussing the use of distance equations related to constant speed, with some suggesting to analyze the differences in speed and distance to find the time it takes for car B to catch up. Others propose establishing a function for the distance traveled by each car over time.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various approaches being suggested. Some participants have provided guidance on formulating distance equations, while others express uncertainty about how to proceed. There is no explicit consensus yet on the best method to solve the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of a homework problem, which may limit the information available or the methods they can use. The initial conditions, such as the speeds of the cars and their starting positions, are being examined for their implications on the solution.

Susanem7389
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I'm having trouble finding the equation.

Two cars are traveling along a straight road. Car A maintains a constant speed of 80 km/h and car B maintains a constant speed of 110 km/h. At t=0, car B is 45 km behind car A. (A) How much father will car A travel before car B overtakes it? (B) How much ahead of A will B be 30 seconds after it overtakes A?
 
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It's all constant speed,

All you have to know is that V*t = d
 
I'm still not sure how to figure it out.
 
Look at the differences in speed.

How long to make up the difference in distance?
 
Try writing the distance from the position that car B is at t=0 as a function of time (In other words, place your origin at that point. It may help to draw a simple diagram).
For example, dB(t) = vBt = 110t (m). Try finding dA(t). Since you are measuring both distances from the same origin, you want to find the time t that the functions are equivalent.

Note that this is a very rote approach. Try LowlyPion's intuitive way first.
 

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