heck Your Understanding

1. An airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s2 for 32.8 s until is finally lifts off
the ground. Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.
See Answer

2. A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 5.21 seconds for a
distance of 110 m. Determine the acceleration of the car.
See Answer

3. Upton Chuck is riding the Giant Drop at Great America. If Upton free falls for 2.60
seconds, what will be his final velocity and how far will he fall?
See Answer
4. A race car accelerates uniformly from 18.5 m/s to 46.1 m/s in 2.47 seconds.
Determine the acceleration of the car and the distance traveled.
See Answer

5. A feather is dropped on the moon from a height of 1.40 meters. The acceleration of
gravity on the moon is 1.67 m/s2. Determine the time for the feather to fall to the
surface of the moon.

6. Rocket-powered sleds are used to test the human response to acceleration. If a

rocket-powered sled is accelerated to a speed of 444 m/s in 1.83 seconds, then
what is the acceleration and what is the distance that the sled travels?
7. A bike accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 7.10 m/s over a distance of
35.4 m. Determine the acceleration of the bike.
See Answer

8. An engineer is designing the runway for an airport. Of the planes that will use the
airport, the lowest acceleration rate is likely to be 3 m/s2. The takeoff speed for this
plane will be 65 m/s. Assuming this minimum acceleration, what is the minimum
allowed length for the runway?
See Answer

9. A car traveling at 22.4 m/s skids to a stop in 2.55 s. Determine the skidding distance
of the car (assume uniform acceleration).
See Answer

10. A kangaroo is capable of jumping to a height of 2.62 m. Determine the takeoff

speed of the kangaroo.
See Answer

See solution below.

11. If Michael Jordan has a vertical leap of 1.29 m, then what is his takeoff speed and
his hang time (total time to move upwards to the peak and then return to the
ground)?
See Answer

12. A bullet leaves a rifle with a muzzle velocity of 521 m/s. While accelerating through
the barrel of the rifle, the bullet moves a distance of 0.840 m. Determine the
acceleration of the bullet (assume a uniform acceleration).
See Answer

13. A baseball is popped straight up into the air and has a hang-time of 6.25 s.
Determine the height to which the ball rises before it reaches its peak. (Hint: the
time to rise to the peak is one-half the total hang-time.)
See Answer

14. The observation deck of tall skyscraper 370 m above the street. Determine the time
required for a penny to free fall from the deck to the street below.
See Answer

15. A bullet is moving at a speed of 367 m/s when it embeds into a lump of moist clay.
The bullet penetrates for a distance of 0.0621 m. Determine the acceleration of the
bullet while moving into the clay. (Assume a uniform acceleration.)
See Answer

16. A stone is dropped into a deep well and is heard to hit the water 3.41 s after being
dropped. Determine the depth of the well.
See Answer

17. It was once recorded that a Jaguar left skid marks that were 290 m in length.
Assuming that the Jaguar skidded to a stop with a constant acceleration of -3.90
m/s2, determine the speed of the Jaguar before it began to skid.
See Answer
18. A plane has a takeoff speed of 88.3 m/s and requires 1365 m to reach that speed.
Determine the acceleration of the plane and the time required to reach this speed.
See Answer

19. A dragster accelerates to a speed of 112 m/s over a distance of 398 m. Determine
the acceleration (assume uniform) of the dragster.
See Answer

20. With what speed in miles/hr (1 m/s = 2.23 mi/hr) must an object be thrown to
reach a height of 91.5 m (equivalent to one football field)? Assume negligible air
resistance.
See Answer
Solutions to Above Problems
1.
Given: Find:
a = +3.2 m/s2 t = 32.8 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??

2. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
3. d = (0 m/s)*(32.8 s)+ 0.5*(3.20 m/s2)*(32.8 s)2
4. d = 1720 m
5. Return to Problem 1
6.
7.
Given: Find:
d = 110 m t = 5.21 s vi = 0 m/s a = ??

8. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
9. 110 m = (0 m/s)*(5.21 s)+ 0.5*(a)*(5.21 s)2
10. 110 m = (13.57 s2)*a
11. a = (110 m)/(13.57 s2)
12. a = 8.10 m/ s2
13. Return to Problem 2
14.
15.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m t = 2.6 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??

vf = ??
16. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
17. d = (0 m/s)*(2.60 s)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(2.60 s)2
18. d = -33.1 m (- indicates direction)
19. vf = vi + a*t
20. vf = 0 + (-9.8 m/s2)*(2.60 s)
21. vf = -25.5 m/s (- indicates direction)
22. Return to Problem 3
23.
24.
Given: Find:
vi = 18.5 m/s vf = 46.1 m/s t = 2.47 s d = ??

a = ??
25. a = (Delta v)/t
26. a = (46.1 m/s - 18.5 m/s)/(2.47 s)
27. a = 11.2 m/s2
28. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
 29. d = (18.5 m/s)*(2.47 s)+ 0.5*(11.2 m/s2)*(2.47 s)2
30. d = 45.7 m + 34.1 m
31. d = 79.8 m
32. (Note: the d can also be calculated using the equation vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d)
33. Return to Problem 4
34.
35.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s d = -1.40 m a = -1.67 m/s2 t = ??

36. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2

37. -1.40 m = (0 m/s)*(t)+ 0.5*(-1.67 m/s2)*(t)2
38. -1.40 m = 0+ (-0.835 m/s2)*(t)2
39. (-1.40 m)/(-0.835 m/s2) = t2
40. 1.68 s2 = t2
41. t = 1.29 s
42. Return to Problem 5
43.
44.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 444 m/s t = 1.83 s a = ??

d = ??
45. a = (Delta v)/t
46. a = (444 m/s - 0 m/s)/(1.83 s)
47. a = 243 m/s2
48. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2
49. d = (0 m/s)*(1.83 s)+ 0.5*(243 m/s2)*(1.83 s)2
50. d = 0 m + 406 m
51. d = 406 m
52. (Note: the d can also be calculated using the equation vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d)
53. Return to Problem 6
54.
55.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 7.10 m/s d = 35.4 m a = ??

56. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

57. (7.10 m/s)2 = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(35.4 m)
58. 50.4 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (70.8 m)*a
59. (50.4 m2/s2)/(70.8 m) = a
60. a = 0.712 m/s2
 61. Return to Problem 7
62.
63.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 65 m/s a = 3 m/s2 d = ??

64. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

65. (65 m/s)2 = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(3 m/s2)*d
66. 4225 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (6 m/s2)*d
67. (4225 m2/s2)/(6 m/s2) = d
68. d = 704 m
69. Return to Problem 8
70.
71.
Given: Find:
vi = 22.4 m/s vf = 0 m/s t = 2.55 s d = ??

72. d = (vi + vf)/2 *t

73. d = (22.4 m/s + 0 m/s)/2 *2.55 s
74. d = (11.2 m/s)*2.55 s
75. d = 28.6 m
76. Return to Problem 9
77.
78.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 2.62 m vi = ??

79. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

80. (0 m/s) = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(2.62 m)
2

81. 0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 51.35 m2/s2

82. 51.35 m2/s2 = vi2
83. vi = 7.17 m/s
84. Return to Problem 10
85.
86.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 1.29 m vi = ??

t = ??
87. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
88. (0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(1.29 m)
89. 0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 25.28 m2/s2
90. 25.28 m2/s2 = vi2
91. vi = 5.03 m/s
 92. To find hang time, find the time to the peak and then double it.
93. vf = vi + a*t
94. 0 m/s = 5.03 m/s + (-9.8 m/s2)*tup
95. -5.03 m/s = (-9.8 m/s2)*tup
96. (-5.03 m/s)/(-9.8 m/s2) = tup
97. tup = 0.513 s
98. hang time = 1.03 s
99. Return to Problem 11
100.
101.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 521 m/s d = 0.840 m a = ??

102. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

103. (521 m/s)2 = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(0.840 m)
104. 271441 m2/s2 = (0 m/s)2 + (1.68 m)*a
105. (271441 m2/s2)/(1.68 m) = a
106. a = 1.62*105 m /s2
107. Return to Problem 12
108.
109.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s t = 3.13 s d = ??

a. (NOTE: the time required to move to the peak of the trajectory is one-half the total
hang time - 3.125 s.)

First use: vf = vi + a*t

0 m/s = vi + (-9.8 m/s2)*(3.13 s)
0 m/s = vi - 30.7 m/s
vi = 30.7 m/s (30.674 m/s)
Now use: vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
(0 m/s)2 = (30.7 m/s)2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(d)
0 m2/s2 = (940 m2/s2) + (-19.6 m/s2)*d
-940 m2/s2 = (-19.6 m/s2)*d
(-940 m2/s2)/(-19.6 m/s2) = d
d = 48.0 m
Return to Problem 13

110.
Given: Find:
 vi = 0 m/s d = -370 m a = -9.8 m/s2 t = ??

111. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2

112. -370 m = (0 m/s)*(t)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(t)2
113. -370 m = 0+ (-4.9 m/s2)*(t)2
114. (-370 m)/(-4.9 m/s2) = t2
115. 75.5 s2 = t2
116. t = 8.69 s
117. Return to Problem 14
118.
119.
Given: Find:
vi = 367 m/s vf = 0 m/s d = 0.0621 m a = ??

120. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

121. (0 m/s) = (367 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(0.0621 m)
2

122. 0 m2/s2 = (134689 m2/s2) + (0.1242 m)*a

123. -134689 m2/s2 = (0.1242 m)*a
124. (-134689 m2/s2)/(0.1242 m) = a
125. a = -1.08*106 m /s2
126. (The - sign indicates that the bullet slowed down.)
127. Return to Problem 15
128.
129.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 t = 3.41 s vi = 0 m/s d = ??

130. d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2

131. d = (0 m/s)*(3.41 s)+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(3.41 s)2
132. d = 0 m+ 0.5*(-9.8 m/s2)*(11.63 s2)
133. d = -57.0 m
134. (NOTE: the - sign indicates direction)
135.
Given: Find:
a = -3.90 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 290 m vi = ??

136. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

137. (0 m/s) = vi2 + 2*(-3.90 m/s2)*(290 m)
2

138. 0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 2262 m2/s2

139. 2262 m2/s2 = vi2
140. vi = 47.6 m /s
141. Return to Problem 17
142.
143.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 88.3 m/s d = 1365 m a = ??

t = ??
144. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
145. (88.3 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(1365 m)
2

146. 7797 m2/s2 = (0 m2/s2) + (2730 m)*a

147. 7797 m2/s2 = (2730 m)*a
148. (7797 m2/s2)/(2730 m) = a
149. a = 2.86 m/s2
150. vf = vi + a*t
151. 88.3 m/s = 0 m/s + (2.86 m/s2)*t
152. (88.3 m/s)/(2.86 m/s2) = t
153. t = 30. 8 s
154. Return to Problem 18
155.
156.
Given: Find:
vi = 0 m/s vf = 112 m/s d = 398 m a = ??

157. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d

158. (112 m/s) = (0 m/s)2 + 2*(a)*(398 m)
2

159. 12544 m2/s2 = 0 m2/s2 + (796 m)*a

160. 12544 m2/s2 = (796 m)*a
161. (12544 m2/s2)/(796 m) = a
162. a = 15.8 m/s2
163. Return to Problem 19
164.
Given: Find:
a = -9.8 m/s2 vf = 0 m/s d = 91.5 m vi = ??

t = ??
165. First, find speed in units of m/s:
166. vf2 = vi2 + 2*a*d
167. (0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2*(-9.8 m/s2)*(91.5 m)
168. 0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 1793 m2/s2
169. 1793 m2/s2 = vi2
170. vi = 42.3 m/s
171. Now convert from m/s to mi/hr:
172. vi = 42.3 m/s * (2.23 mi/hr)/(1 m/s)
173. vi = 94.4 mi/hr