If one car was going 60 mph and another car going the same speed would they travel side by side?

Question

I am having troubles with this question. I would really like to prove my teacher wrong so please answer seriously and best to your knowledge. Thank you

Answer 1

Yes, they should, as long as they started right next to each other, didn't go round any corners, and they both have the same acceleration.

Answer 2

Not necessarily. Speed is necessarily a vector, that is, it incorporates a distance traveled IN A SPECIFIC DIRECTION over a given span of time.

After all, if one car is going NORTH at 60 mph, and another car is going EAST at the same speed, they would cross paths perpendicular to each other - or they might collide in a classic T-bone. If they are both traveling north, they still might not - one car might be 5 miles behind the other, and would never catch up. Or if one is driving north, and the other south, they might crash head-on...or possibly pass each other on different sides of the road, or on different roads entirely. They could also be at different heights, like on a dual-level bridge. Then, even if both are traveling north, one car could be below, not side-by-side with the other. And may also be 5 miles behind.

However, only if they were already side by side, traveling in the same direction, at the same speed, at the same height, could it be said that they were traveling side by side.

Hope this helps you. What does your teacher say would happen?

Answer 3

You can easily and legitimately roll your teacher on this one. #1 It's humanly impossible to drive any auto at the same speed with or without cruise control. Humans cannot do this accurately as well as the best cruise controls built buy man . With two cars nailed by their cruse control on Laval ground going at (seemingly the same speed) a sudden disparity rolls in. Absolutely no two cars ( brand weight body style transmission gearing motors react exactly the same to directional wind forces, inclines, declines, heat tire pressure, lubrication, ride height, brake drag and every car has some in varying degrees. There are too many items that would influence repeatability.

Answer 4

My personal chocices would be as follows... 3/4 ton pickup. ( I have a Checy Silverado 3/4 ton, 4x4) 2nd..Volvo...great safety record. 3rd. Beemer or Mercedes. 4th A classic like a '50 Ford..when they use to make cars with actual heavy metal!!!! I hit a telephone pole at 50 mph with my '50 Ford, 2 door sedan once. Car flipped and pole went between the right tire and engine. I salvaged the engine and wrecked the car out but I survived without a seat belt...(they weren't required back then).

Answer 5

If they started out side by side, going the same direction, had the same acceleration, were driven exactly the same (given the vagaries of human driving), and drove in a straight line, yes.

Answer 6

not necessarily. you never said where or when they started, only that they went the same speed. if the second car waited for 10 seconds after the first car left, he would be significantly behind. also, if they start 20 yards apart, they would stay 20 yards apart, but not side-by-side.

Answer 7

Depends. If it was an oval track (and it had to stay in it's lane)then the car on the outside lane will be farther behind as it travelled farther.

Answer 8

your teacher is probably trying to get you to inquire about the details or explain your answer. it depends, same car? same rate of acceleration? started at the same time? traveling parallel and in the same direction? my answer is brobably not. to many variables.

Answer 9

Probably not. Numbers are infinite, so one car might be doing 59.9997865 (to infinity) m.p.h., while the other one might be doing 60.000035745 m.p.h. Odometer readings can also be slightly different from car to car.

Answer 10

only if they were side by side heading the same direction. if they both were going 60 in different directions, obviously they would not be side by side.