Traveling 60mph, is it really 88 feet/second?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter jakksincorpse
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the perception of speed while driving, specifically questioning whether traveling at 60 mph equates to 88 feet per second. Participants explore their personal experiences and perceptions related to speed and distance on the highway.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses skepticism about the accuracy of 88 feet per second feeling realistic while driving at 60 mph, suggesting it feels more like 40 feet per second.
  • Another participant attributes the disbelief to psychological factors, indicating that people's perception of time may distort their sense of speed.
  • Some participants relate the distance of 88 feet to familiar objects, like a football field, to contextualize the measurement.
  • Several participants share personal anecdotes about their experiences while driving, including feelings of detachment and altered perceptions of speed over time.
  • There are references to the average running speed and comparisons to common distances to further illustrate the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the perception of speed versus the calculated distance of 88 feet per second. Multiple viewpoints and personal experiences are presented, indicating a lack of agreement on the matter.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying degrees of uncertainty regarding their perceptions of speed and time, with some acknowledging a poor sense of how long a second feels. The discussion includes subjective interpretations that may not align with mathematical calculations.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring the psychology of perception, driving experiences, or those curious about the relationship between speed and distance measurements.

jakksincorpse
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
i was bored driving home today and i was driving 60mph, factory standard tires and rims so the speedometer is correct

in calculation 88 feet per second equals up to 60mph. but in the real world. driving on the highway that sounds very outlandish... my guess would be at most 40 some feet.

why is that?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It has something to do with your psyche. Other than that, I can't find any other reasonable answer.
 
sounds reasonable. the more i think about the length of a football field the more 88 feet seems more realistic. because that'd be close from the 0 yard line to the 30 yard line.
 
Your disbelief probably comes from having a poor sense of how long a second is. People tend to think one second is the time it takes to say "one" or the snap of their fingers or something.
 
Mu naught said:
Your disbelief probably comes from having a poor sense of how long a second is. People tend to think one second is the time it takes to say "one" or the snap of their fingers or something.

It's approximately the time it takes to fully say 'twenty one'.
 
one third of a football field is a little more than 88 ft. Also, the average running speed is about 20fps
 
I often find myself spacing out while driving. It's like the car's on autopilot and I'm watching a movie projector. Someone else is taking care of everything. From downshifts to signaling.

My impression, not perception, of speed has also certainly dulled over the years.
 
Yup!

One of the first numbers I learned.
 
  • #10
SonyAD said:
I often find myself spacing out while driving. It's like the car's on autopilot and I'm watching a movie projector. Someone else is taking care of everything. From downshifts to signaling.

My impression, not perception, of speed has also certainly dulled over the years.

There are cars that you drive, and there are cars that drive you. I suggests getting the kind that you drive. It can change a morning commute from being too long to being too short!

http://www.moroccangoldimports.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/s2000-drift-1024x480.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • #11
Well, this is what I drive:

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/6033/img1261p.jpg

It's not German.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #12
Neither is the car on the picture above your post.
 
  • #13
oh my god! i see where your coming from, i would have thought more like 5 feet/second!

omg, omg, omg!
 
  • #14
Dickfore said:
Neither is the car on the picture above your post.

I like French diesels.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/9962/img1254x.jpg
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7563/img2590i.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
35
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
3K
Replies
13
Views
11K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
5K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K