What is the g-force of a car stopping on a dime?

[Loren Booda]

What is the g-force on a car, initially traveling at 55 mph, when stopping across the diameter of a dime?

 

[Pythagorean]

convert mph to mps, find the acceleration from change in velocity, multiply by mass, divide by g.

 

[Pythagorean]

Find acceleration from change in velocity over given distance, that is.

 

[KingNothing]

Would it not be appropriate to solve a system of equations, d=1/2 * a * t^2, d = 17.91 mm, and a * t = 55 mph?

Doing this I get about 16.9 kilometers / s^2, or 1721g.

 

[Pythagorean]

$$a = \frac{v^2 - v_0^2}{2d}$$

but $$v_0 = 0$$ (in my ref frame : )

so

$$a = \frac{v^2}{2d}$$

Of course, this assume constant acceleration...