Acceleration Calculation: A Physics Problem

What is the acceleration of a car that starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a distance of 125m in 4.21 seconds?

Answer:

The acceleration of the car, which started from rest and covered a distance of 125m in 4.21s, can be calculated using the second equation of motion. The acceleration is found to be 7.07 m/s2.

Acceleration in physics is a crucial concept to understand motion. When a car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly, we can determine its acceleration by utilizing the equation of motion. In this case, we are provided with the distance traveled (125m) and the time taken (4.21s).

The acceleration can be calculated using the formula v^2 = u^2 + 2as, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity (which is 0 in this case since the car starts from rest), a is the acceleration, and s is the distance traveled.

Substituting the given values into the equation, we find that the final velocity v is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time taken: v = 125m / 4.21s = 29.69 m/s. Since the initial velocity u is 0 m/s, the equation simplifies to v^2 = 2as.

By rearranging the equation to solve for acceleration a, we get a = v^2 / 2s. Plugging in the values, we find a = (29.69)^2 / (2 * 125) = 7.07 m/s^2.

Therefore, the acceleration of the car is 7.07 m/s^2, indicating the rate at which its velocity is changing over time as it accelerates uniformly from rest.