Calculate the speed of the car at each checkpoint by dividing the distance between each checkpoint, in meters, by the change in time. Record your answers in Table E of your Student Guide.
The speed at the first quarter checkpoint is __ m/s.
The speed at the second quarter checkpoint is __ m/s.
The speed at the third quarter checkpoint is __ m/s.
The speed at the finish line is __ m/s.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To calculate the speed of a car at each checkpoint, you need to use the formula:
[
\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}
]
Where:
- Distance is the distance traveled between each checkpoint (in meters).
- Time is the change in time between the checkpoints (in seconds).
Step-by-step Process:
- Identify the checkpoints: The problem mentions first, second, third quarter checkpoints, and the finish line. The distance between each checkpoint and the time taken between them will be given (or can be derived from the context).
- Calculate the speed for each checkpoint:
- For the first quarter checkpoint, divide the distance from the start to the first quarter checkpoint by the time it took to reach that point.
- For the second quarter checkpoint, divide the distance from the first quarter to the second quarter by the time taken to travel between these two points.
- Similarly, calculate the speed for the third quarter and the finish line, dividing the distance between the previous point and the current one by the time taken to travel between them.
Example:
Let’s assume the following example values for the distance and time taken:
| Checkpoint | Distance (meters) | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|
| Start to 1st Quarter | 200 | 10 |
| 1st Quarter to 2nd Quarter | 200 | 8 |
| 2nd Quarter to 3rd Quarter | 200 | 7 |
| 3rd Quarter to Finish Line | 200 | 6 |
Now, let’s calculate the speed at each checkpoint:
- Speed at the First Quarter:
[
\text{Speed} = \frac{200 \, \text{m}}{10 \, \text{s}} = 20 \, \text{m/s}
] - Speed at the Second Quarter:
[
\text{Speed} = \frac{200 \, \text{m}}{8 \, \text{s}} = 25 \, \text{m/s}
] - Speed at the Third Quarter:
[
\text{Speed} = \frac{200 \, \text{m}}{7 \, \text{s}} \approx 28.57 \, \text{m/s}
] - Speed at the Finish Line:
[
\text{Speed} = \frac{200 \, \text{m}}{6 \, \text{s}} \approx 33.33 \, \text{m/s}
]
Final Answer (from this example):
- The speed at the first quarter checkpoint is 20 m/s.
- The speed at the second quarter checkpoint is 25 m/s.
- The speed at the third quarter checkpoint is approximately 28.57 m/s.
- The speed at the finish line is approximately 33.33 m/s.
Explanation:
By dividing the distance between each checkpoint by the time taken to travel that distance, you calculate the car’s speed at each point. This method uses the formula for speed, which is the most basic concept in physics when dealing with motion. The speed calculated at each checkpoint tells you how fast the car was traveling at that point in time.