Q. 348 - Intermediate Algebra

Question

An accident investigator measured the skid marks of one of the vehicles involved in an accident. The length of the skid marks was 175 feet. Use the formula $s=\sqrt{24d}$ to find the speed of the vehicle before the brakes were applied. Round your answer to the

nearest tenth.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The speed of the vehicle before the brakes were applied is 128 feet/second.

Step 1. Given Information

An accident investigator measured the skid marks of one of the vehicles involved in an accident. The length of the skid marks was 175 feet.

Step 2. Finding speed by using the formula

$$\begin{gathered} s=\sqrt{24d} \\ s=\sqrt{24\times 175} \\ s=\sqrt{4\times 6\times 5\times 5\times 7} \\ s=4\times 5\sqrt{42} \\ s=20\times 6.4=128 \end{gathered}$$