I know there are some pretty smart people browsing these forums, and I need a bit of quick help with physics. I’m working on an assignment for my AP Physics class through webassign, which is basically a way that teachers can put assignments online for students and they can fill out the homework on the internet and submit it for instant grading. Unfortunately they can also set the time it is due, and mine happens to be due in about 15 minutes.
I have been working on the last problem for about an hour and a half, and just can’t figure it out.
If you would be so kind to explain it to me, I would be very grateful.
Question:
A bicyclist is finishing his repair of a flat tire when a friend rides by at [color=#dd0000]3.8[/color] m/s. Two seconds later, the bicyclist hops on his bike and accelerates at [color=#dd0000]2.0[/color] m/s2 until he catches his friend.
Here’s the equation I have so far:
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]v01t+.5a1t2=v02t+.5a2t2[/font]
But that doesn’t facter in the 2 second head start.
Thanks.
