PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Three cars, A, B and C, travel along a straight track for exactly 4s, each undergoing uniform acceleration. Their velocities change as follows:
• Car A: from 20m/s to 0m/s
• Car B: from 0m/s to 20m/s
• Car C: from 10m/s to −10m/s
(The positive direction is the direction in which Car B speeds up.)
(a) For each car, calculate the magnitude and sign of its acceleration.
(b) Rank the cars in order of increasing magnitude of acceleration, clearly showing your working.
(c) Without performing detailed calculations of distance, identify which car travels the greatest distance in the 4s interval and justify your answer conceptually.