If I want to pass a car just in front of me going at 55 mph, what will my speed be to pass
within 1/4 of a mile? Assume that the length of your car is 10 ft and both gaps between the cars
are 50 ft, before and after passing.
Solution
So, during the time of passing, another car should cover the distance
1/4 of a mile (50 + 50 + 10) ft = = 1210 ft.
The speed of the other car is
55 miles per hour = = 80.66667 feet per second (ft/s) (rounded).
The time for the other car to cover 1210 ft is
= 15 seconds.
Your car should cover 1/4 miles, or = 1320 ft. <<<---=== It is how I read "to pass within 1/4 of a mile"
Hence, your speed should be
= 88 feet per second, or = 60 miles per hour.
ANSWER. Your speed should be 60 miles per hour.
