SPH3U0

Problem solving extension

Name: SOL

d
di

v
v
d
d
v
Useful definitions :
d=
d f
d i ;
d T =
d 1 +
d2 ;
v avg =
= f
; v= ; a=
= f i
t
t
t
t
t
A student walks from her home to the library. It took her 49 minutes to get there. Immediately
after getting in front of the library she remembered that there is a first period class. In order to
get in time she ran to school covering that distance in 7.5 minutes. She managed to get in time.
(SI, SD) (Significant digits are bounded to 1 due to 500m. However I will use 2SD to
make more sense of the answers)

a) Choose the house as your point of reference with [E] being positive direction. Write the
given information based on this choice.
Let H be home, S be school, and L be library

d H =0 m;
d S=+500 m;
d L =+1200 m;
t HL =49 min 60

s
3
=2940 s 2.9 10 s
min

t LS =7.5 min 60

s
=450 s 4.5 102 s
min

b) Now choose the library as your point of reference with [E] as positive direction. Write the
given information based on this choice.

d H =1200 m ;
d S =500 m ;
d L =0 m;
t HL 2.9 103 s
t LS 4.5 102 s

c) Find the distance travelled, displacements, total displacement, average speed for each
segment, average speed for the whole travel, average velocity for each segment of the
displacement, and average velocity for the total displacement. Use the information from
(a)

i d =arithemtic of positions=1200+500=1.9 103 m

ii
d HL=
d L
d H =(+1200 m ) ( 0 m) =+1.210 3 m
iii
d LS =
d S
d L =( +500 m )( +1200 m )=7.0 102 m
2
iv
d T =
d HL +
d LS =( +1200 m )+ (700 m )=+5.0 10 m

iv s avLS =

v s avLS =

d LS 700 m
m
=
1.6
t LS 450 s
s

vi s avHL =

vii sav =

d LS 700 m
m
=
1.6
t LS 450 s
s

d HL 1200 m
m
=
4.1101
t HL 2940 s
s

d
1900 m
m
=
5.6 101
t HL+ LS 3390 s
s

viii v avHL =

ix v avHL =

x v av =

d HL +1200 m
m
m
=
+4.1 101 4.1 101 [E]
t HL
2940 s
s
s

d LS 700 m
m
m
=
1.6 1.6 [W ]
t LS
450 s
s
s

d T +500 m
m
m
=
+1.5 101 1.5 101 [ E]
t T 3390 s
s
s

d) Repeat part (c) using the information from (b)

They are all the same as (b)
e) Discuss any difference and/or similarities between results from (c) and (d)
Displacement and velocity does not depend on the frame of reference chosen.
Only position vector does depend on the frame of reference
f) Do you have enough information to find the average acceleration? If yes find it. If no
explain why?

Once the student got to class she realized that her homework wasnt in her back pack. She calls
her brother at home to get the homework. He gets on his motorcycle and start driving toward
the library thinking that she is there. He accelerates uniformly 5.0 m/s2 (or 5.0 m/s/s) until he
reaches a cruising speed of 72 km/h.
g) For how long did he accelerate?
FOR: [E] -> + and House H is 0m

v i=0
a =

m
km 1000 m
1h
m
1m
; v f =+72

=+2.0 10 ; a =+5.0 2
s
h
1 km
3600 s
s
s

v f v i
( 1 ) solve for t
t acc

t acc =

v f vi
( 2 ) substitute
a
m
m
0
s
s
=4.0 s
m
+5.0 2
s

+ 20
t acc =

h) What was his average velocity?

If the acceleration is uniform then

v av =

v i + v f
(1 ) substitute
2

m
m
+20
s
s
m
m
v av =
=+1.0 101 1.0 101 [E ]

2
s
s
0

i) How far did he travel during that time?

v av =

d
(1 ) solve for
d
t

d =
v av t ( 2 ) substitute
m

d = +10
( 4 s )=+ 4.0 101 m4.0 101 m[ E]
s

Once reaching the cruising speed he maintains it until he is 55 m from the library.

j) What is his total time of travel up to that point?

Maintain cruising speed means constant speed/velocity. Distance and magnitude
of displacement, and speed and magnitude of velocity are the same in this case

d cruise =1200 m40 m55 m=1105 m ; v=20

m
s

uniformmotion : d cruise =v t cruise ( 1 ) solve for t

t cruise =
t cruise =

d cruise
( 2 ) substitute
v
1105 m
55 s
m
20
s
1

t=t acc + t cruise 5.9 10 s

He needs to stop right in front of the library.

k) What should be his acceleration to achieve the goal?
Let see what we know for this portion of the motion

m
m
; v f =0 ;
d stop=+55 m
s
s

v i=+ 20

a stop=

v f v i
( 1 ) we need t stop
t stop

on the other hand : t stop=

d stop
(2)
v avg

assuming uniform acceleration ( decelerationthis case )

v avg =

v f + v i
(3)
2

We substitute all variables in (1)

2

v f v i ( v f v i ) ( v f +v i ) ( v f ) ( v i )
a stop=
=
=
(3)
d stop
2
d stop
2 d stop
v f + vi
2
1.5 your textbook this is one of the kinematics equations)
( section

a stop=

m 2
m 2
+20
s
s
m
m
3.6 2 3.6 2 [W ]
2(+55 m)
s
s

( ) (
0

How nice is derive a final equationsubstitute numbers once

l) What would be the time he had travelled so far?

t T = t acc + t cruise + t stop ( 1 )

t T =4 s+55 s+5.5 s 64 s

m) Use all or part of the data found previously to find how long would it take him to get to his
sisters school?
(Answers may vary) Assumptions: He will use the same acceleration for speeding up,
same cruising speed, same acceleration and distance for stopping.
Given:

d acc =40 m ( found (i ) ) ;


d stop=55 m ( given ) ;
leftover

d cruise =700 m+55 m+ 40 m=605 m ( thetotal distance library school ) ;

Solution : t T =t acc + t cruise + t stop (1)
t acc =4 s ( found previously ) ; t stop=5.5 s ( found previously )
t cruise =

d cruise
m
given v cruise =20
v cruise
s

substitute t cruise =

605 m
3.0 101 s
m
20
s

substitute all ( 1 ) : t T =4 s +5.5 s+ 30.25 s 4.0 101 s