If I drive at a steady 40 miles per hour, and the car in front drives at a steady 45 miles per hour, the gap between us will steadily increase. Now an increase in speed is acceleration, but how do I describe the increasing gap between two vehicles which aren't accelerating?
2007-03-11 11:11:53 · 13 answers · asked by Not Just Another Sheep 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
there is no increase in speed. just an increase in distance
2007-03-11 11:15:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The two of you start together. After one hour you have travelled 40 miles, the other car 45 miles. After two hours you've gone 80 miles the other car 90 miles. After three hours it's 120 and 135 miles respectively. The gap at the end of each hour is 5, 10 and 15 miles, i.e. it has increased by 5 miles each hour. It is as though you were standing still and the other car was moving away from you at a speed of 5 miles per hour.
2007-03-11 11:34:33 · answer #2 · answered by Michael G 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can indicate that the velocity of the faster car relative to the slower car is 5 mph. There is a gap between them and it is closing because the faster car is moving 5mph. The speeds of both cars are constant so their acceleration is 0.
2007-03-11 14:23:42 · answer #3 · answered by Christina 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
D= R*T Eliminate the road: in effect your car is standing still and the other moving at a steady 5 MPH. The _relative_ speed is 5 MPH.
2007-03-11 11:49:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since the car ahead of you is not pulling away at an *increasing* rate of speed, there is no acceleration involved. All you are looking at the the *differrence* in speed between the two vehicles.
HTH âº
Doug
2007-03-11 11:23:44 · answer #5 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Following distance.
2007-03-11 11:26:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both of you are doing a steady SPEED.
He is travelling 5mph faster so will slowly pull ahead.
Put your foot down to overtake, you're ACCELERATING.
2007-03-11 11:43:41 · answer #7 · answered by Norrie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the rates of travel are steady but the first car is exceeding the rate of the second by 16.6%
2007-03-11 11:28:15 · answer #8 · answered by snark 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
simple according to the car in front, you are stationery and he is moving at 5mph and so he is not accelerating, just moving away.
2007-03-12 02:09:38 · answer #9 · answered by morgan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no increase in speed, both speeds are constant.
What you have is an increase in displacement.
2007-03-11 11:16:35 · answer #10 · answered by gumtrees 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋