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Forces and Motion

The Stopping Distance of a Car.

The total distance which is needed to stop a moving car
can be divided into two parts.

1.  The Thinking Distance is how far the car travels between
the moment when the driver first realizes that the car must be stopped
and the moment when they apply (put on) the brakes.
The faster the car is travelling,
the further it moves during the thinking distance.

Thinking distance can be reduced
by using road signs to warn the driver that they might have to stop soon.
The more alert a driver is, the quicker they can apply the brakes
and the smaller is the thinking distance.

2.  The Braking Distance.

The total stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance.

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Copyright © 2008 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.