Bad Question - Average Acceleration

In summary, the conversation discusses a question about a car starting from rest with constant acceleration and increasing its speed from 10m/s to 50m/s over a distance of 60m. The purported answer is 4.0s, but the correct answer is actually 2.0s. The conversation concludes that the key is most likely wrong due to a possible change in the question or a mistake made by the key's creator.
  • #1
Qube
Gold Member
468
1

Homework Statement



A car starts from rest. With constant acceleration, the car increases its speed from 10m/s to 50m/s over a distance of 60m. How long does this take?

Purported answer: 4.0s

Homework Equations



Constant acceleration, so the following equations apply:

Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2ad
Vf = Vi + at

The Attempt at a Solution



Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2ad

2500 = 100 + 2a(60)
2400 = 120a
240/12 = a
a = 20 m/s^2.

Vf = Vi + at

50 = 10 + 20(t)
40/20 = 2s.

Why does the key say 4s?

I'm guessing it's because the key is wrong!
 
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  • #2
Qube said:

Homework Statement



A car starts from rest. With constant acceleration, the car increases its speed from 10m/s to 50m/s over a distance of 60m. How long does this take?

Purported answer: 4.0s

Homework Equations



Constant acceleration, so the following equations apply:

Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2ad
Vf = Vi + at

The Attempt at a Solution



Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2ad

2500 = 100 + 2a(60)
2400 = 120a
240/12 = a
a = 20 m/s^2.

Vf = Vi + at

50 = 10 + 20(t)
40/20 = 2s.

Why does the key say 4s?

I'm guessing it's because the key is wrong!

Yes, I think the key is wrong.
 
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  • #3
I concur with Dick. The key is wrong. Why? They might have changed the question from some previous edition and not changed the key. Or they might have solved a problem other than the one printed. Or they might have just made a mistake. It happens.
 
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Related to Bad Question - Average Acceleration

What is bad question - average acceleration?

Bad question - average acceleration is a term used in physics to describe the average change in velocity over time. It is considered a bad question because it does not provide enough information to accurately calculate the acceleration.

Why is it important to ask good questions about average acceleration?

Asking good questions about average acceleration is important because it allows us to accurately calculate the acceleration of an object, which is crucial for understanding its motion and predicting future movement.

What are some examples of bad questions about average acceleration?

Some examples of bad questions about average acceleration include "What is the average speed of a car?" or "How fast does a ball travel?" These questions do not specify the time period over which the velocity is changing, making it impossible to accurately calculate the acceleration.

How can we improve a bad question about average acceleration?

To improve a bad question about average acceleration, we can add information about the time period over which the velocity is changing. For example, instead of asking "How fast does a ball travel?", we can ask "What is the average acceleration of a ball when it travels 10 meters in 5 seconds?"

What are some real-world applications of understanding average acceleration?

Understanding average acceleration has many real-world applications, such as predicting the landing location of a projectile, determining the efficiency of a car's engine, or calculating the G-force experienced by astronauts during space travel.

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