A car is speeding at constant velocity of 30ms-1 in an 80kmh-1 zone as it passes a stationary police motorcycle hiding. The motorcycle starts to accelerate at 5ms-2 at the same instant the car passes it and continues for 8 seconds. It then stops accelerating and maintains its speed until it catches the car.

Question

A car is speeding at  constant velocity of 30ms-1 in an 80kmh-1 zone as it passes a stationary police motorcycle hiding. The motorcycle starts to accelerate at 5ms-2 at the same instant the car passes it and continues for 8 seconds. It then stops accelerating and maintains its speed until it catches the car.
a) How long does it take for the motorcycle to catch up to the car?
b) How far did the motorcycle travel before catching up to the car?

Please explain how you got the answer

Jill · Answer

The distance the motorcycle and the car go is the same. So set up an equation for the distance the motorcycle goes and it will equal the car's accelerating distance and constant distance. You can use d=rt for the constant portions.

Mariya · Answer

thanks :)