The discussion centers on calculating the acceleration of a freight train that slows from 28.7 m/s to 23.7 m/s over 10.8 seconds. The average acceleration is determined using the formula (Vf - Vi)/t, where Vf is the final velocity, Vi is the initial velocity, and t is the time. Additionally, participants discuss how to calculate the time required to bring the train to a complete stop and the total distance traveled during the deceleration phase using Newton's equations of motion. The emphasis is on guiding the original poster to solve the problem independently rather than providing direct answers.
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WHOAguitarninja said:The average acceleration is given by the final velocity minus the initial velocity over the time, or (Vf - Vi)/t.
The initial velocity, final velocity, and time are all directly given to you. That much i trust you can do on your own
Now we need to see going at that rate, how long it will to slow down. Speaking more precisely, if you were to think of it as slowing down by that much once every second, how many times could you fit that into your speed (taking the final speed, as we've already taken out the first second). Ofcourse the deceleration is continuous, but that is a workable conceptual model.
Lastly we must use one of Newton's equations to find the total distance x. << detailed solution deleted by berkeman >>
