Dear Parents,

I should be able to go to the concert tonight, now that I have learned

the Physics of Driving. I have learned about reaction time, systematic
and random errors, accuracy in driving, precision in driving, average
speed, the Doppler effect, acceleration and deceleration, velocity, total
stopping distance/ total braking distance, the radius of a curve, the
vector and scalar quantities, yellow lights, friction, following distance,
and centripetal force. I am going to explain to you everything I have
learned in this letter/ essay and how it makes me a safe driver.
Lets start with reaction time. When driving it takes a certain amount
of time, called reaction time, to recognize a hazard, decide what to do,
and initiate an action such as applying the brakes. During this time, the
vehicle is still moving, and the distance traveled is the reaction
distance. Many things that can possibly happen while youre on the
road can affect your reaction time. Talking on the phone, talking to a
passenger, something as small as changing the radio station or a CD
can cause you to get into a serious accident because it would make
your reaction time slower. We did a series of trials and different
experiments to figure out our reaction time and learn how to calculate.
One trial we did was timing the time it took for us to move our foot
from an imaginary gas pedal to the brake, we also did a test where we
dropped a ruler and recorded where the other person caught it but the
person dropping the ruler would also use green and red to signal to the
catcher whether or not to catch the ruler or drop the ruler. These tests
both contributed to finding your reaction time. I also learned that you
can figure out your own reaction time by taking an online test, or doing
the small investigations above. I also know that if maybe you cannot
test yourself or go online, that the average persons reaction time is .5
seconds. Your reaction time also contributes to other factors like,
braking distance/ total stopping distance.
Next well go into braking distance/ total stopping distance. The
definition of braking distance is the approximate distance traveled
before coming to a complete stop when the brakes are applied in a
vehicle moving at a specified speed. We learned about braking
distance in section 5. We did an investigation where we used a model
car and we let it roll down a ramp at 3 different heights (so we could
simulate different speeds) and then we measured from the end of the

ramp, where the car would have hit the brakes, the different stopping
distances the cars went. Your individual reaction time and the speed
you are driving, affect your braking distance because depending on
how fast your reaction time this and the speed of your car your
braking/ stopping distance will end up being faster or shorter.
Now we will discuss speed. There are many different types of speed
such as, constant speed, accelerating speed, decelerating speed, and
average speed.
Constant speed is pretty much exactly like the term, it means that
the speed an object is going does not change. For instance, you are
driving at 25 mph, you would be continuously driving at 25 mph until
you reach your destination. Example distance, time graph:

Accelerating speed would be a speed of a car that is going faster and

faster as time goes on. For instance, you are driving at 15 mph, as
time goes on, the speed of the car would get faster. After 5 minutes
your speed is at 20 mph, after another 5 minutes your car is at 25
mph. This continues until you reach your destination. Example
distance time graph:

Decelerating speed or negative acceleration would be the speed of a

car going slower and slower as time goes on. For instance, you are
driving at 45 mph, as time goes on the speed of your car would be
slower. After 5 minutes your speed is at 40 mph, after another 5
minutes your speed is 35 mph. This continues until you reach your
destination. Example distance, time graph:

Average speed would be the distance traveled, d, in a given interval

of time, t. By definition, average speed is distance traveled divided by
time taken. Equation:
d/ t = average speed. The equation of average speed can be used to
find the time needed for an object to travel a certain distance or the
distance traveled during a period of time.
Next we have systematic and random errors. No measurement is
exact (accurate to an infinite number of decimal places).
Measurements are often repeated many times to average out
uncertainties. Sources of uncertainty include, systematic errors which
happen due to improper calculations, and random errors which happen
when experimental measurements are caused by unknown and
unpredictable changes in the data. Systematic errors can usually be
fixed with calculations whereas random errors can not be fixed at all.
Now onto accuracy and precision in driving. Accuracy in driving refers
to the drivers ability and closeness to the standards of driving.
Precision refers to repeating the same amount of driving accuracy
regardless of the drivers ability. So precision is, producing the same
set and amount of skills again and again while driving.
Next is the Doppler Effect. When a source of sound is moving toward
or away from an observer, the frequency of the sound detected by the
observer is shifted. This shift is referred to as the Doppler effect. Like
when you are in the stands of a race track. When the cars are directly
passing you, you can here the high pitched frequency the car is making
due to the shift of the doppler effect.
Now for acceleration. Acceleration is a change in an objects velocity,
v , with respect to time, t. By definition, acceleration is the change
in an objects velocity divided by the interval of time. Acceleration can
be positive or negative. Equation:
v/ t = acceleration
For vector and scalar quantities, when an object is moving, the
direction of the movement is as important as the size (magnitude).

Quantities that have both size and direction, such as velocity and
acceleration, are vectors. Those that have only size and no direction,
such as mass, are known as scalars.
Velocity is the automobiles speed at any given direction. Velocity is
the measurement of distance changed over time. The standard way of
finding the velocity is by dividing change in distance by change in
time. Equation:
d/ t = velocity
Centripetal force is next. When an automobile goes around a curve, a
centripetal force is needed to cause the direction of the automobile to
change so that it can make the turn safely, the force is directed toward
the center of the circle.
Now we have the radius of a curve. To calculate the radius of a curve,
take the height -- "H" -- of the curve and divide it by two. Call the result
"C." Now take the width -- "W" -- of the curve and square it by
multiplying it by itself. Call the result "D." Next multiply height, "H," by
eight and call this result "E." Divide "D" by "E" and call the result "F."
The radius of the curve is C plus F.
Yellow Lights. To decide whether or not to drive through an
intersection when the light is yellow, you need to know your speed at
the moment, how much longer the light will be yellow (a yellow light
typically lasts 5 seconds), and your current surroundings. I would say
to be on the safe side that if you are going below 20 mph already that
you may not make the light and to just wait for a green. If you have
less than 3 seconds left before the light changes, regardless of your
speed or the surroundings you should again wait for the green light.
And then depending on the lane you are in and how many cars are
around you, you should probably stay and wait for the next green light
if either of the factors above apply to your situation. But just to be safe
if I am allowed to drive to this concert tonight, no matter any of the
factors mentioned above I will be stopping at any yellow light I see and
I will safely wait until the next green light.
Now for what I have learned about friction. Friction depends on the
speed. The tighter the curve the slower that you have to go to be safe
because the faster the car is going, the harder it is to control the turn.
Also, If the speed is greater the force of the friction is also greater.

From all of the things I have learned from the physics of driving so
far, I think that I a ready to drive myself to the concert tonight. I know
very well now how to be safe on the road, plus this is only two times
behind the wheel (to get there and back). I think that I have proven all
that I can prove about what I know about the math and physics of
driving, now the decision is all yours :). Have faith in your daughter :p.
With Love, Nevaeh Zilka