College

The table below shows the data for a car stopping on a wet road. What is the approximate stopping distance for a car traveling at 35 mph?

Car Stopping Distances

[tex]\[

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}

\hline

$v$ & \begin{tabular}{c}

$d$ \\

$(ft)$

\end{tabular} \\

\hline

15 & 17.9 \\

\hline

20 & 31.8 \\

\hline

50 & 198.7 \\

\hline

\end{tabular}

\][/tex]

The stopping distance function is given by:

[tex]\[ d(v) = \frac{2.15 v^2}{64.4 f} \][/tex]

Choose the approximate stopping distance:

A. 41.7 ft
B. 49.7 ft
C. 97.4 ft

Answer :

To find the approximate stopping distance for a car traveling at 35 mph on a wet road, we use the formula provided:

[tex]\[ d(v) = \frac{2.15 \times v^2}{64.4 \times f} \][/tex]

Here, [tex]\( v \)[/tex] is the velocity of the car in miles per hour (mph), and [tex]\( f \)[/tex] is the friction factor. In the absence of a specific friction factor, we’ll assume [tex]\( f = 1 \)[/tex].

Steps to solve the problem:

1. Identify the given information:
- The velocity ([tex]\( v \)[/tex]) of the car is 35 mph.

2. Substitute the values into the formula:
- Plug in the value of [tex]\( v = 35 \)[/tex] mph.
- Use [tex]\( f = 1 \)[/tex] for simplicity since the friction factor is not provided.

3. Calculate the stopping distance:
- First, calculate [tex]\( v^2 = 35^2 = 1225 \)[/tex].
- Next, substitute these values into the formula:

[tex]\[ d(35) = \frac{2.15 \times 1225}{64.4 \times 1} \][/tex]

- Simplify the multiplication: [tex]\( 2.15 \times 1225 = 2633.75 \)[/tex].
- Then divide by 64.4:

[tex]\[ d(35) = \frac{2633.75}{64.4} \approx 40.90 \text{ ft} \][/tex]

So, the approximate stopping distance for a car traveling at 35 mph on a wet road is about 40.9 feet.