When carrying a passenger, a motorcycle takes:
Answers
Less time than usual to stop and speed up.
The same amount of time to stop and speed up as it usually does.
More time than usual to stop and speed up.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
More time than usual to stop and speed up.
Explanation:
When a motorcycle is carrying a passenger, its overall mass increases. This added weight affects both the stopping and acceleration capabilities of the motorcycle. The key concepts involved are inertia, force, and acceleration, which are governed by Newton’s laws of motion.
- Inertia and Mass: Inertia is the resistance of an object to changes in its state of motion. According to Newton’s First Law, an object will resist changes to its velocity unless acted upon by an external force. When a motorcycle carries a passenger, the total mass increases, meaning there is more inertia. This means the motorcycle will resist changes in its speed (both acceleration and deceleration) more than when it is carrying only the rider. Consequently, it will take more time to speed up or slow down.
- Stopping Distance: The stopping distance of a vehicle is determined by its initial speed and the decelerating force. The decelerating force is a result of the friction between the tires and the road, along with the braking system. With the added weight of a passenger, the motorcycle needs more braking force to slow down. Since the friction and braking force do not increase proportionally with the added mass, the motorcycle will take longer to stop. This means the stopping distance will be greater, and the motorcycle will require more time to come to a complete stop.
- Acceleration: Similarly, when accelerating, the motorcycle needs to overcome the inertia of the additional mass. The engine must exert more force to increase the motorcycle’s speed, which means it will take more time to reach the desired speed compared to when it is operating with a lighter load.
In summary, carrying a passenger makes a motorcycle slower to accelerate and decelerate due to the increased mass, which requires more time to change the motorcycle’s speed.