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guyz! physics problem!

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by jerinrulz, Sep 17, 2001.

  1. jerinrulz

    jerinrulz Member

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    i have 50 minutes, this is the problem:

    an engineer in a train sees a car stuck on the track at a railroad crossing in front of the train. when the engineer first sees the car , the locomotive is 280m from the crossing and its speed is 23 m/s . if the engineers reaction time is .33 s what should be the magnitude of the minimum deceleration to avoid an accident? answer in m/s^2

    if u could do this, plz try.....and show how. thanks
     
  2. SamCassell

    SamCassell Member

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    Hehe. We've had guys ask for help before with their homework, but this is the first time in the middle of a test!
     
  3. jerinrulz

    jerinrulz Member

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    lollll.......man its not a test, its this hw thing i gotta turn in online and i have 40 minutes....lol plzzzzzzzz help!
     
  4. DrewP

    DrewP Member

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    I guess your screwed, eh? :D
     
  5. hotdogeater

    hotdogeater Member

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    Engineers always speed up if a car is on the tracks ahead to decrease damage to the train's expensive wheels and to clear the path quickly.

    This is a trick question.:)
     
  6. francis 4 prez

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    Just like the first rule they taught us as freshmen engineers is the first engineers on the scene of an accident should kill all the survivors. keeps the lawsuits down you know.

    and whoever asked the question, i assume you subtract reaction time*velocity from 280 (this is now the distance left to stop) and then divide that by 11.5 (the average speed as you decelerate from 23 to 0). this gives the number of seconds to stop. then divide 23(your original speed) by that number to get the acceleration. i think that should work but don't hold me to that.
     
    #6 francis 4 prez, Sep 17, 2001
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2001
  7. Major

    Major Member

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    280 meters
    23 meters / second

    0.33 second reaction time x 23 m/s = 7.59 meters travelled before reacting

    That means 272.41 meters to be travelled before stopping.

    d = (vi + vf)/2 * t

    We know d =272.41; vi = 23 m/s; vf = 0 m/s. Therefore, the time involved equals 23.68 seconds.


    d = vi * t + 1/2 * a * t^2

    We know d = 272.41; vi = 23 m/s. t = 23.68 seconds.

    A = (d - vi * t) * 2 / t^2

    A = -0.97 m / s^2

    I think :D
     
  8. francis 4 prez

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    apparently shanna cares far more about your academic well being than I do (even including the equations, units, and the answer)
     
  9. dylan

    dylan Member

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    hmm, a little late but let's see here.

    reaction time is 0.33 s times 23m/s = 7.667 m travelled before decleration.

    280 m - 7.667 m = 272.3333 meters before collision.

    Vf = sqrt(Vi^2 + 2*a*d)
    0 = sqrt(23^2 + 2*a*272.3333)
    0 = 529 + a*544.666667
    a = -529/544.6667
    a = -0.971 m/s^2

    at least that's what i get...
     
  10. Sonny

    Sonny Member

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    I dont know any of the formulas, but here is my guess...

    280/23 = 12.1739 seconds until it hits.

    Assuming the speed is 23 meters per second

    So minus the .33 seconds for reaction time

    = 11.8439 seconds to stop

    Magnitude of minimum deceleration


    umm....what Shanna said....

    try this page too

    http://cstl-cst.semo.edu/venezian/PH120/physics_120_test2.htm
     
  11. francis 4 prez

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    do i get a prize or something for answering first
     
  12. dylan

    dylan Member

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    well shanna and i kick @ss. i think we need to be taking this physics class :)
     
  13. Steve_Francis_rules

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    I would have been able to answer this if I had been at a computer when you first posted it. I'm a physics superstar. :)
     
  14. Rocket Fan

    Rocket Fan Member

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    hmm.. I took physics last year and made an A but that was last year:) too bad i think i threw away my note cards with all those equations on them:)
     
  15. jerinrulz

    jerinrulz Member

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    hey guyz i appreciate all the help alot! i got the answer w/ like 5 minutes left. I got the same thing as those people who got -.971 and thats y i kept on missing it. The answer is actually .971, i think its becuz of the fact that it asked for magnitude...thx alot
     
  16. PhiSlammaJamma

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    Man, I wish I was still in school. How much fun with all this new technology. I will admit that once I hired a math tutor for 5$ to do my take home calculus exam. Perfect score. That's the only time I really cheated. I was just too tired to think about an exam that night. No guilt to this day. I just wasn't in the mood to work on that exam.
     
  17. francis 4 prez

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    See you should've trusted francis 4 prez. He would've shown you the light.
     
  18. Rocket Fan

    Rocket Fan Member

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    phislammajamma.. hmm i had a calculus take home test assigned today.. lol too bad its only like 1 tenth of the total test and we take the rest in class.. take home tests are fun.. gotta love that two days to work on two problems.. at least i go into the test pretty sure i have at least a 10 going:)
     
  19. fadeaway

    fadeaway Member

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    I took Level III physics in high school and got an 80. Physics is phun. :)

    I took first year physics in university and got a 50. Physics is dumb. :(
     
  20. Manny Ramirez

    Manny Ramirez The Music Man

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    I am ashamed to say that I couldn't remember how to work that problem despite having a minor in science (16 hrs in Chemistry and 8 hrs in Physics)! It's really true that if you don't use something on a regular basis, then you forget how to do it. My Bachelor's degree is in math, and I guarantee you that I would have a hard time doing calculus or differential equations right now.

    Speaking of classes, I'm taking this damn Intro to Accounting class as part of a prerequisite for my MBA and I was forced to take it by correspondence--meaning I have to teach it to myself. I've been lucky that there are several CPAs at work that have helped me with previous problems, but right now I am baffled by this FIFO and LIFO crap on inventory.
     

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