Math Problem Statement
A car traveled a semicircular path with a radius of 2 km in 3 minutes. Calculate its average speed and acceleration.
Solution
To solve this, we calculate the average speed and average acceleration of the car.
Step 1: Average Speed
The formula for average speed is:
Total Distance:
Since the car travels a semicircular path, the total distance is the circumference of half a circle:
Total Time:
The time given is 3 minutes. Convert this into hours:
Average Speed:
Substitute the values into the formula:
Step 2: Average Acceleration
The formula for average acceleration is:
Initial and Final Velocities:
- The car starts at one point on the semicircle and ends at the opposite point.
- Since velocity is a vector, the initial velocity and final velocity have the same magnitude but point in opposite directions.
- Thus, the change in velocity () is:
where is the magnitude of the velocity.
The magnitude of velocity () is the distance divided by the time:
Thus:
Total Time:
The total time remains .
Average Acceleration:
Substitute the values into the formula:
Final Results:
- Average Speed:
- Average Acceleration:
Do you have any questions or need further clarification? 😊
Related Questions:
- How would the average speed change if the radius of the semicircle were doubled?
- What would be the average acceleration if the car traveled a full circular path?
- How can we express the result in SI units (meters per second and meters per second squared)?
- How does the curvature of the path affect the average acceleration of the car?
- What role does centripetal acceleration play in this motion?
Tip:
Always remember to distinguish between scalar quantities (e.g., speed) and vector quantities (e.g., velocity and acceleration) while solving motion problems.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Circular Motion
Kinematics
Average Speed
Average Acceleration
Formulas
Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time
Average Acceleration = Δv / Δt
Circumference of a Circle = 2πr
Theorems
Change in velocity involves direction (vector subtraction)
Relationship between speed, velocity, and acceleration in circular motion
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 10-12
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