please help me in this CHALLENGE QUESTION?

Question

IT'S A SCIENCE QUESTION??? IF YOU KNOW IT..I WILL GIVE 10 POINTS TO YOU!

Jamal is in a car going north. he looks out his window and thinks that the northbound traffic is moving very slowly. Ellen is in a car going south. She thinks the northbound traffic is moving quickly. Explain why Jamal and Ellen have different ideas about the motion of the traffic?

10 points to you...;)

Answer 1

in short, both have different relative speeds.

explanation: Jamal is travelling north, and all other cars, relative to him, are going at about the same speed as he is. therefore, it gives the illusion that he's not travelling fast. on the other hand, Ellen looks at the northbound traffic and sees that the speeds of the cars are as if they were coming right at her, in fact the speeds at which she sees the oncoming traffic travel, relative to her, is equal to the speed of her car + the speed of oncoming traffic, giving the illusion that those cars are travelling at high speeds. while the speeds at which Jamal sees his traffic, is equal to the difference between the speed of his car and traffic.

i hope i get the 10 points. hehe

Answer 2

Well, it has nothing to do with persepctuive, because they are too close together. Jamal's indication of the speed of the traffic is relative to a fixed point, like houses in the distance (unless he is just a "lead foot"). Ellen's perspective of the relative speed of the traffic is likewise based on distant objects. The north bound and southbound lanes are too close together for the phenomenon of "opposite traveling vectors add while same traveling vectors subtract" to take effect.

They have different ideas because:
a. Jamal thinks the "speed limit" is a suggestion, not a law; OR
b. Jamal has an accident about 2 miles ahead, while Ellen has just passed the accident and thinks the northbound traffic is travelling too fast for conditions (of which they are unaware).

Answer 3

Jamal think the northbound is going slow because she and the northbound traffic are going at the same direction.


Ellen thinks the northbound traffic is going quickly because he and the northbound traffic are going opposite directions

Answer 4

This question is an illustration of the theory of reletivity. Motion is relative; Jamal and Ellen's ideas about the motion they observe are both correct. If Jamal sees a car in his lane moving at 61MPH and Jamal is going 60MPH, then to Jamal the car is really only moving 1MPH in the "instant" he observes this (thus "instanteous velocity = 1MPH). If Ellen and Jamal are both going 60MPH then Jamal's instanteous velocity is -60MPH in the instant she observes this.

Answer 5

"Jamal is going with traffic, same speed, it looks as if everyone is standing still..."Ellen" is going against traffic, seeing all the cars zooming by is giving her the illusion of traffic moving quickly.

Answer 6

Because cars going in opposite directions have combined approach speeds much higher than the speed differential between cars going the same direction.

Answer 7

because Jamal was in a hurry and Ellen wasn't

Answer 8

It's called Relativity.

Answer 9

Speed is relative.

Answer 10

Loved this question