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Two cars A and B start moving with a constant acceleration from rest, in a straight line. Car A attains a velocity of 5 m s⁻¹ in 5 s. Car B attains a velocity of 3 m s⁻¹ in 10 s. Plot the velocity-time graphs for both the cars in the same graph. Using the graph, calculate the displacement in the two time intervals mentioned.
Show Answer
Car A: a A = 5 5 = 1 m s -2 ; displacement in 5 s = 1 2 (5)(5) = 12.5 m .
Car B: a B = 3 10 = 0.3 m s -2 ; displacement in 10 s = 1 2 (3)(10) = 15 m .
Each displacement is the area of the triangle under that car’s line.
| Car | Displacement |
|---|---|
| Car A (a = 1 m/s², 5 s) | 12.5 m |
| Car B (a = 0.3 m/s², 10 s) | 15 m |
