A vehicle, of total mass 1200 kg, is travelling along a straight, horizontal road at a constant speed of 13 ms⁻¹ - AQA - A-Level Maths Mechanics - Question 13 - 2021 - Paper 2

To find the acceleration of the vehicle, we will use the equation of motion given by:

$v^2 = u^2 + 2as$

where:

• $v$ = final velocity = 17 ms⁻¹
• $u$ = initial velocity = 13 ms⁻¹
• $a$ = acceleration (unknown)
• $s$ = distance = 40 m

Substituting the known values into the equation:

$17^2 = 13^2 + 2a(40)$

This can be simplified to:

$289 = 169 + 80a$

Rearranging gives: $289 - 169 = 80a \\ 120 = 80a \\ a = \frac{120}{80} = 1.5 \, ms^{-2}$.