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posted by  Nisherz on 7/4/2009 1:42:47 AM  |  status: Live  |  Earned Karma: 25

SIMPLE Physics problem - EMERGENCY!!!!! Please answer asap!

Course Textbook Chapter Problem Needs by
General Physics Physics (3rd) by Walker N/A N/A N/A
Question Details:
Hi! I need help!!! I need this problem solved asapp!!! Thank you soooo much

Two bicyclists travel toward each other, each traveling at a uniform speed of 4.4 m/s. At the moment that they are 32 km apart, a bumblebee flies from the front wheel of one of the bikes at a uniform speed of 11.1 m/s directly to the wheel of the other bike. It touches it and turns around in a negligibly short time and returns at the same speed to the first bike, whereupon it touches the wheel and instantaneously turns around and repeats the back-and-forth trip over and over again--successive trips becoming shorter and shorter until the bikes collide and squash the unfortunate bee between the front wheels. What was the total distance the bee travelled?

There are two ways to solve this; either will be accepted.
And I'm supposed to explain in detail the physics of the problem not just solve it briefly. Thank you soo much! I immensely appreciate it thank you soooo much!!!!

cRequests for Clarification:

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posted by Nisherz on 7/4/2009 12:12:14 PM  |  status: Live
Clarification Details:
hi! Thank you soo much so sweet of you. However this is a algebra-based physics class and i feel like you used more advanced math. Could you perhaps solve it using more basic math/basic equations? Thank you so much!!!!

AAnswers:

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Oracle
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posted by Antony08 on 7/4/2009 6:00:24 AM  |  status: Live
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Response Details:
the time taken by the bumblebee to reach the wheel of the other bike be t therefore we get
S = vt + (1/2)gt^2
S = 32 km = 32 * 10^3 m,v = 11.1 m/s and g = 9.8 m/s^2
or 32 * 10^3 = 11.1t + (1/2) * 9.8 * t^2
or 4.9t^2 + 11.1t - 32 * 10^3 = 0 ----------(1)
solving the above equation we get the time taken by the bumblebee to reach the wheel of the other bike
the motion of the bee and the first bike is shown in the following figure:
In the above figure,u1 is the speed of the first bike,v1 is the speed of the bee towards the first bike and v is the resultant speed.
we know that
v = (v12 + u12)1/2
the total distance the bee travelled is
S1= v * t ----------(2)
the value of v and t is obtained from equations (1) and (2).
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