A car driver has to make an emergency stop. The braking distance depends on the speed of the car. For the same braking force, what happens to the braking distance if the speed doubles?

For a situation like this it is best to think of the energy of the car!The car has a kinetic energy = 1/2mv2 so if the speed has doubled the new kinetic energy of the car will be 1/2m(2v)2 meaning the kinetic energy has increased by a factor of 4. To top the car work must be done by the brakes. The work done will also have gone up by a factor of 4. As work = f x d and the force is the same, the braking distance will have increased by a factor of 4.

AD
Answered by Alice D. Physics tutor

5764 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is Newton's first law of motion?


A wave with a constant velocity doubles its frequency. What happens to the wavelength?


In the early 20th Century the plum pudding model of the atom was replaced by the nuclear model of the atom, explain why this happened.


define 1 volt


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning