Question

During a barrel race, a horse and rider reach a speed of 13.5 m/s, but they need to slow down to a speed of 5.25 m/s in order to make a tight turn around the next barrel. If the largest acceleration they can achieve is 3.20 m/s2, how far from the next barrel do they need to be when they start slowing down?

Answer 1

Initial speed of the horse and rider = V₁ = 13.5 m/s

Speed of the horse and rider before reaching the barrel = V₂ = 5.25 m/s

Maximum acceleration = a = -3.2 m/s² (Negative as it is deceleration)

Distance from the barrel when they need to start slowing down = D

V₂² = V₁² + 2aD

(5.25)² = (13.5)² + 2(-3.2)D

D = 24.2 m

Distance from the next barrel when they need to start slowing down = 24.2 m