Traffic shock wave. An abrupt slowdown in concentratedtraffic can travel as a pulse, termed a shock wave, along theline of cars, either downstream (in the traffic direction) or upstream,or it can be stationary shows a uniformlyspaced line of cars moving at speed v = 25.0 m/s toward a uniformlyspaced line of slow cars moving at speed vs = 5.00 m/s.Assume that each faster car adds length L = 12.0 m (car lengthplus buffer zone) to the line of slow cars when it joins the line, and assumeit slows abruptly at the last instant. (a) For what separation distanced between the faster cars does the shock wave remainstationary? If the separation is twice that amount, what are the (b)speed and (c) direction (upstream or downstream) of the shock wave?
Traffic shock wave. An abrupt slowdown in concentrated
traffic can travel as a pulse, termed a shock wave, along the
line of cars, either downstream (in the traffic direction) or upstream,
or it can be stationary shows a uniformly
spaced line of cars moving at speed v = 25.0 m/s toward a uniformly
spaced line of slow cars moving at speed vs = 5.00 m/s.
Assume that each faster car adds length L = 12.0 m (car length
plus buffer zone) to the line of slow cars when it joins the line, and assume
it slows abruptly at the last instant. (a) For what separation distance
d between the faster cars does the shock wave remain
stationary? If the separation is twice that amount, what are the (b)
speed and (c) direction (upstream or downstream) of the shock wave?
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