In the daytona 500 auto race, a ford thunderbird and a mercedes benz are moving side by side down a straightaway at 68.0 m/s. the driver of the thunderbird realizes that she must make a pit stop, and she smoothly slows to a stop over a distance of 250 m. she spends 5.00 s in the pit and then accelerates out, reaching her previous speed of 68.0 m/s after a distance of 420 m. at this point how far has the thunderbird fallen behind the mercedes benz, which has continued at a constant speed?

1010 m

Explanation:

t = Time taken

u = Initial velocity

v = Final velocity

s = Displacement

a = Acceleration

Time taken by the thunderbird to stop is 7.35 seconds

Time the thunderbird was at the pit is 5 seconds

Time taken to accelerate back to 68 m/s is 12.36 seconds

Total time to this point is 7.35+5+12.36 = 24.71 seconds

The Mercedes Benz is moving at a constant velocity hence it has no acceleration and we use the formula

Distance = Speed × Time

⇒Distance = 68 × 24.71 = 1680 m

The thunderbird has covered 250+420 = 670 m

So, the distance between them is 1680-670 = 1010 m

think about the oscillation of the toy shown in the video. when the toy is at the highest point of its motion, its velocity is zero and its acceleration is negative.