High School Physics : Understanding Distance, Velocity, and Acceleration

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Physics

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Example Questions

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Example Question #31 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

Two locomotives approach each other on parallel tracks.  They both have the same speed of  with respect to ground. If they are initially  apart, how long will it be before they reach each other?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Knowns:

 



 

Unknowns: 

 

 

Equation:

 

Since both trains are traveling at a constant velocity and there is no acceleration the equation is

 

 

Rearrange this equation to solve for time.

 

 

Since both trains are traveling at the same speed, the trains will meet up in the middle of the total distance between the trains.

 

Plug this distance into the equation to find the time that it takes to travel the distance.

 

 

The answers provided are in minutes, so the final step is to convert the time to minutes.



Example Question #32 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

Derek rolls a ball along a flat surface with an initial velocity of . If it stops after 12 seconds, what was the acceleration on the ball?

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Knowns:

 

 

 

 

Unknowns:

 

 

Equation:

 

Since the ball starts with a positive velocity and ends at rest, we can predict that the acceleration will be negative. Using the values given in the question and the equation below, we can solve for the acceleration.

 

 

 

 

 

Example Question #33 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

A car starts from rest, speeds up with constant acceleration and travels  in . What is the final velocity and the acceleration of the car?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Knowns:


 

 

 

Unknowns:

 



 

Equation:

 

The easiest way to approach this problem is find the average velocity, multiply by 2 because the car started from rest, and then divide the final velocity by time to get the acceleration. 

 

Average velocity:

 

 

 

 

The final velocity is  because the car started from rest. This is evident from the equation for average velocity if we solve for final velocity:

 

 

 



 

To find the acceleration use the acceleration equation with the final velocity that was just calculated.

 

 



 

Example Question #34 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

A dog sits in a basket attached to the handlebars of a bicycle. If an outside observer sees the bicycle move with a velocity , what is the velocity of the dog relative to the observer?

Possible Answers:

We need to know more information to be able to solve

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If the observer sees the bicycle moving with a uniform velocity , then that means all the parts of the bicycle together are moving with the same velocity. The dog, the cyclist, the handlebars, everything in the system (that is not moving independently, such as the pedals or the wheels) is moving with the same velocity .

Example Question #35 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

In which of the following cases does an object have a negative velocity and a positive acceleration?  An object that is traveling in the

Possible Answers:

  direction decreasing in speed

 direction increasing in speed

 direction increasing in speed

  direction decreasing in speed

 direction a constant 

Correct answer:

  direction decreasing in speed

Explanation:

To have a negative velocity the object must be traveling in the  direction.  The direction on the velocity vector indicates the direction of the motion of the object

 

If the velocity vector and acceleration vectors are pointing in opposite directions, then the object must be slowing down as the acceleration vector is opposing the motion of the object.

 

Therefore the object is traveling in the  direction and decreasing in speed.

 

Example Question #36 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

A bowling ball traveling with constant speed hits the pins at the end of a bowling lane  long.  The bowler hears the sound of the ball hitting the pins  after the ball is released from his hands.  What is the speed of the ball, assuming the speed of sound is ?

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Knowns:

 

 

 

 

Unknowns:

 

Time can be broken up as well.  There is a time that it takes the ball to roll down the lane to hit the pin.  There is also a different time for the sound to reach the person’s ear.  This adds up to the total time provided in the problem.

 



 

Equation:

 

The ball and sound both travel at constant velocities.  Therefore the equation that can best be used is

 

 

Each step must be taken into account as the ball travels down the alley and as the sound travels back.  Since the velocity of the ball is not provided, the best place to start is to find the amount of time that it takes for the sound to reach the person’s ear.

 

Rearrange the equation to solve for time.

 

 

Plug in the values for the speed of sound and the distance that the sound travels.

 

 

 

 

The total time was given.  Subtract the time that it takes the sound to travel to determine how long the ball was rolling down the lane.

 

 

 

Now, use this time in the equation with the distance of the bowling to determine the velocity of the ball

 

 

 

 

Example Question #37 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

One of the fastest players in football ran  in . What was his average speed during this time? 

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Knowns:

 

 

Unknowns:

 

 

Equation: 

 

To solve this problem we need to consider the definition of speed, which is the distance traveled over a given amount of time.

 

Even though the player's speed is changing throughout the sprint (due to acceleration), we are asked to find the average speed. We can do this using the total distance and total time given. The distance is  and the time is .

 

 

 

 

 

Example Question #38 : Understanding Distance, Velocity, And Acceleration

During a storm, you can usually see the lightning before you hear the thunder, unless you are very close to the lightning strike. What causes this discrepancy? 

Possible Answers:

We need to know the current of the lightning in order to determine the answer

The speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound

There is no definitive scientific reason for this phenomenon

We need to know the voltage of the lightning in order to determine the answer

The speed of sound is much faster than the speed of light

Correct answer:

The speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound

Explanation:

Assuming you stand in one place, the distance between you and the lightning strike does not change. 

 

The formula for velocity is:

 

 

In this scenario, the distance travelled, , does not change. The time taken to travel this distance,  , does change. That means that the velocity must also be changing.

 

This is an indirect relationship. As  increases,  will decrease; thus, the object with a greater time of travel (sound) will have a slower velocity.

 

 

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