Amotorist drives along a straight road at a constant speed of 15.0 m/s. just as she passes a parked motorcycle police offi cer, the offi cer starts to accelerate at 2.00 m/s2 to overtake her. assuming that the offi cer maintains this acceleration, (a) determine the time interval required for the police offi cer to reach the motorist. find (b) the speed and (c) the total displacement of the offi cer as he overtakes the motorist.

a) The time the police officer required to reach the motorist was 15 s.

b) The speed of the officer at the moment she overtakes the motorist is 30 m/s

c) The total distance traveled by the officer was 225 m.

Explanation:

The equations for the position and velocity of an object moving in a straight line are as follows:

x = x0 + v0 · t + 1/2 · a · t²

v = v0 + a · t

Where:

x = position at time t

x0 = initial position

v0 = initial velocity

t = time

a = acceleration

v = velocity at time t

a)When the officer reaches the motorist, the position of the motorist is the same as the position of the officer:

x motorist = x officer

Using the equation for the position:

x motirist = x0 + v · t (since a = 0).

x officer = x0 + v0 · t + 1/2 · a · t²

Let´s place our frame of reference at the point where the officer starts following the motorist so that x0 = 0 for both:

x motorist = x officer

x0 + v · t = x0 + v0 · t + 1/2 · a · t²      (the officer starts form rest, then, v0 = 0)

v · t = 1/2 · a · t²    

Solving for t:

2 v/a = t

t = 2 · 15.0 m/s/ 2.00 m/s² = 15 s

The time the police officer required to reach the motorist was 15 s.

b) Now, we can calculate the speed of the officer using the time calculated in a) and the  equation for velocity:

v = v0 + a · t

v = 0 m/s + 2.00 m/s² · 15 s

v = 30 m/s

The speed of the officer at the moment she overtakes the motorist is 30 m/s

c) Using the equation for the position, we can find the traveled distance in 15 s:

x = x0 + v0 · t + 1/2 · a · t²

x = 1/2 · 2.00 m/s² · (15s)² = 225 m

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