Car A and Car B – Find the time one overtakes the other

The speed-time graph of Car A and Car B, along a straight road over 4 seconds is shown below.

a) Calculate the acceleration of Car A and Car B over the 4 seconds.    

Ans: a of Car A = 3 ms-2 and a of Car B =0.75 ms-2

Car A overtakes Car B at time t seconds.

b) Derive two separate expressions for the velocities of Car A and Car B at the point when Car A overtakes Car B, in terms of t.

Ans: Va = 3t    and    Vb = 3 + 0.75t

c) Calculate the time t when Car A overtakes Car B.   

Ans: t = 2.67s

Solutions for (a) and (b)

Solutions for (c)