How Many Strides on a Moving Sidewalk?

In summary, a passenger walks on a moving sidewalk at a speed of 3.0 km/h relative to the sidewalk, which is 135 m long and moves at a steady velocity of 1.0 km/h. The questions asked are: 1) How long does it take for the passenger to cover the 135 m? 2) How much time does the passenger save by taking the moving sidewalk instead of walking beside it? 3) Through what distance does the passenger walk relative to the moving sidewalk? 4) If the passenger has a stride of 90 cm, how many steps are taken in going from one end of the moving sidewalk to the other? The answer to the first question is 122 seconds, and
  • #1
shealya
1
0

Homework Statement



A passenger rushing to catch a plane at the airport walks on a moving sidewalk at a speed of 3.0 km/h relative to the sidewalk in the direction that the sidewalk is moving. The sidewalk is 135 m long and moves with a steady velocity of 1.0 km/h.

The question has 4 parts:
  1. 1. How long (in s) does it take for the passenger to get from one end of the sidewalk to the other, that i *to cover the 135 m? I found this to be 122s.
  2. How much time does the passenger save by taking the moving sidewalk instead of just walking beside it? Here, I found out by walking, it takes 162s to walk beside it, leaving a 40s difference in time.
  3. Through what distance does the passenger walk relative to the moving sidewalk? I haven't figured this one out becasue I have no idea what its even asking (yes, I know you're not supposed to say that but honestly, I don't understand what my professor is looking for).
  4. and 4, the one that I have an issue on. "If the passenger has a stride of 90cm, how many steps are taken in going from one end of the moving sidewalk to the other?"

***ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS WERE COPIED AND PASTED FROM THE COMPUTER PROGRAM***

Homework Equations



none that i can think of to apply

The Attempt at a Solution


Since I'm really posting on here for the last part, here's what I did.

I converted 135 m (length of the sidewalk) to 13,500 cm, since the length of the stride is in cm. So then, I did 13,500cm/90cm and got 150. The computer program that my professor uses for homework said that was wrong. Then figuring that a "stride" was the length between two steps, so then I divided 150 by 2 (for 2 steps) and got 75, which was also wrong.

If anyone wants to help on what the third part is even asking (like i said, I know you're supposed to attempt them on your own but I seriously do not even understand what it is asking.)​
 
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  • #2
Here are my thoughts:
First figure out what is the time between steps. Then what is the stride, relative to the ground, considering how fast the person and sidewalk is moving. Obviously the stride will be longer. Now divide the length of the sidewalk by the length of the stride.
 
  • #3
The key to part 4 is part 3 :smile:

The passenger is walking along a surface. That surface happens to moving with respect to something else (the ground), but ignore that. Concentrate on the person walking and the surface he's walking on as if they were the only thing in existence. You've figured out the time he spends walking on the surface in (1). You're given the speed with which he walks on the surface. So what distance does he walk on the surface?

Then for (4), if you know the distance walked from (3) and the stride length, how many strides make that distance?
 

What is relative velocity sidewalk?

Relative velocity sidewalk is a concept in physics that describes the movement of a person on a moving sidewalk. It takes into account the velocity of the person and the velocity of the sidewalk, and how they relate to each other.

How is relative velocity sidewalk calculated?

To calculate relative velocity sidewalk, you need to know the velocity of the moving sidewalk and the velocity of the person walking on it. You then subtract the velocity of the sidewalk from the velocity of the person to get the relative velocity.

What is the importance of understanding relative velocity sidewalk?

Understanding relative velocity sidewalk is important in many aspects of physics, such as analyzing the motion of objects in a moving reference frame. It also helps us understand the effects of relative motion in everyday situations, such as walking on a moving sidewalk.

How does relative velocity sidewalk affect travel time?

The relative velocity between a person and a moving sidewalk can affect their travel time. If the person is walking in the same direction as the moving sidewalk, their relative velocity will increase, leading to a shorter travel time. However, if they are walking in the opposite direction, their relative velocity will decrease, resulting in a longer travel time.

Can relative velocity sidewalk be negative?

Yes, relative velocity sidewalk can be negative. This occurs when the person is walking in the opposite direction of the moving sidewalk. In this case, the velocity of the person is greater than the velocity of the sidewalk, resulting in a negative relative velocity.

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