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Ch 02: Motion Along a Straight Line
Chapter 2, Problem 2

The Fastest (and Most Expensive) Car! The table shows test data for the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, the fastest street car made. The car is moving in a straight line (the x-axis). (a) Sketch a vx–t graph of this car's velocity (in mi/h) as a function of time. Is its acceleration constant? (b) Calculate the car's average acceleration (in m/s2) between (i) 0 and 2.1 s; (ii) 2.1 s and 20.0 s; (iii) 20.0 s and 53 s. Are these results consistent with your graph in part (a)? (Before you decide to buy this car, it might be helpful to know that only 300 will be built, it runs out of gas in 12 minutes at top speed, and it costs more than $1.5 million!)Table showing time in seconds and velocity in mi/h for the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Convert the given velocities from mi/h to m/s using the conversion factor 1 mi/h = 0.44704 m/s.
Step 2: Plot the converted velocities against time on a graph to sketch the v_x-t graph.
Step 3: Analyze the v_x-t graph to determine if the acceleration is constant by checking if the graph is a straight line.
Step 4: Calculate the average acceleration for each time interval using the formula a_avg = (v_f - v_i) / (t_f - t_i), where v_f and v_i are the final and initial velocities, and t_f and t_i are the final and initial times.
Step 5: Compare the calculated average accelerations with the v_x-t graph to check for consistency.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Velocity

Velocity is a vector quantity that refers to the rate at which an object changes its position. It is defined as the displacement of an object divided by the time taken to cover that displacement. In this context, the velocity of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is given in miles per hour (mi/h), indicating how fast the car is moving along the x-axis over time.
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Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. It can be calculated by taking the difference in velocity over the difference in time. In this problem, average acceleration is calculated between specified time intervals, which helps determine how quickly the car speeds up or slows down during its run.
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Graph Interpretation

Graph interpretation involves analyzing graphical representations of data to extract meaningful information. In this case, a velocity vs. time (vx–t) graph will illustrate how the car's speed changes over time. Understanding the shape of the graph can indicate whether the car's acceleration is constant, increasing, or decreasing, which is crucial for answering the question.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
A cat walks in a straight line, which we shall call the x-axis, with the positive direction to the right. As an observant physicist, you make measurements of this cat's motion and construct a graph of the feline's velocity as a function of time (Fig. E2.30). (b) What is the cat's acceleration at t = 3.0 s? At t = 6.0 s? At t = 7.0 s?

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Textbook Question
A cat walks in a straight line, which we shall call the x-axis, with the positive direction to the right. As an observant physicist, you make measurements of this cat's motion and construct a graph of the feline's velocity as a function of time (Fig. E2.30). (c) What distance does the cat move during the first 4.5 s? From t = 0 to t = 7.5 s?

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Textbook Question
A cat walks in a straight line, which we shall call the x-axis, with the positive direction to the right. As an observant physicist, you make measurements of this cat's motion and construct a graph of the feline's velocity as a function of time (Fig. E2.30). (d) Assuming that the cat started at the origin, sketch clear graphs of the cat's acceleration and position as functions of time.

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Textbook Question
High-speed motion pictures (3500 frames/second) of a jumping, 210–μg flea yielded the data used to plot the graph in Fig. E2.54. (See 'The Flying Leap of the Flea' by M. Rothschild, Y. Schlein, K. Parker, C. Neville, and S. Sternberg in the November 1973 Scientific American.) This flea was about 2 mm long and jumped at a nearly vertical takeoff angle. Use the graph to answer these questions: (a) Is the acceleration of the flea ever zero? If so, when? Justify your answer.

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Textbook Question
High-speed motion pictures (3500 frames/second) of a jumping, 210–μg flea yielded the data used to plot the graph in Fig. E2.54. (See 'The Flying Leap of the Flea' by M. Rothschild, Y. Schlein, K. Parker, C. Neville, and S. Sternberg in the November 1973 Scientific American.) This flea was about 2 mm long and jumped at a nearly vertical takeoff angle. Use the graph to answer these questions: (b) Find the maximum height the flea reached in the first 2.5 ms.

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Textbook Question
High-speed motion pictures (3500 frames/second) of a jumping, 210–μg flea yielded the data used to plot the graph in Fig. E2.54. (See 'The Flying Leap of the Flea' by M. Rothschild, Y. Schlein, K. Parker, C. Neville, and S. Sternberg in the November 1973 Scientific American.) This flea was about 2 mm long and jumped at a nearly vertical takeoff angle. Use the graph to answer these questions: (c) Find the flea's acceleration at 0.5 ms, 1.0 ms, and 1.5 ms.

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