What Acceleration Did Colonel John P. Stapp Experience When Stopping?

In summary, Colonel John P. Stapp set a world's land speed record in March 1954 by riding a rocket-propelled sled at 1020 km/h and stopping in 1.4 seconds. The resulting acceleration experienced by Stapp was calculated using the constant acceleration equation and was found to be -1239.06 g units. However, this seems unlikely as humans can only withstand a few tens of g's for a short period of time.
  • #1
mpgriffis
2
0

Homework Statement



A world's land speed record was set by Colonel John P. Stapp when in March 1954 he rode a rocket-propelled sled that moved along a track at 1020 km/h. He and the sled were brought to a stop in 1.4 s. In g units, what acceleration did he experience while stopping?

Homework Equations


I think I am supposed to use the constant acceleration equation
v = v(0) + at

1 g unit = 9.8m/s^2


The Attempt at a Solution


You only get two attempts to get it right. My first attempt was 1239.06 g units but it was wrong. My second time around i got -1239.06 g units but i was just wondering if anyone could double check it. Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
i'll try this Q...nah, can't get the ans, it is too hard sry because i oso g 1239.06g
 
  • #3
kaisxuans said:
i'll try this Q...nah, can't get the ans, it is too hard sry because i oso g 1239.06g

Why are you responding to questions you can't answer? In txt? mpgriffis, convert km/hr to m/sec before you divide by g and time. Carefully. Humans surviving more than a few tens of g's for more than a fraction of a second is unheard of. I have no clue how either one of you got 1238.06g.
 
Last edited:

What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

How is acceleration measured?

Acceleration is typically measured in meters per second squared (m/s²) in the SI system. Other common units include feet per second squared (ft/s²) and kilometers per hour squared (km/h²).

What is the formula for calculating acceleration?

The formula for acceleration is acceleration = change in velocity / time . This can also be written as a = (vf - vi) / t , where a is acceleration, vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, and t is time.

What is the difference between acceleration and velocity?

Velocity is the rate at which an object changes its position over time, while acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity over time. In other words, velocity tells us how fast an object is moving and in what direction, while acceleration tells us how quickly an object's velocity is changing.

What are some examples of objects experiencing acceleration?

Some examples of objects experiencing acceleration include a car speeding up or slowing down, a ball being thrown into the air, a roller coaster going around a loop, and a rocket launching into space. Any time an object changes its speed or direction, it is experiencing acceleration.

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