Rear view mirrors

Rear view mirrors in automobiles are generally convex. Suppose a car A moves with a constant speed of 40.0 kilometre per hour on a straight level road and is followed by another car B moving with the constant speed 60.0 kilometre per hour. At a given instant of time, we denote: x : distance of the car B from the mirror of car A, y : distance of the car B from A as seen by the driver of A in the mirror, vx : speed of approach of B relative to A and vy : speed of approach of B as seen in the mirror of A. FIND: If R = 2.0 m, what is the speed of approach of B in kilometre per hour as seen by the driver of A in the mirror of x= 2.0m. FIND ANSWER IN Km/hr NOTE: THIS QUESTION IS FROM INDIAN NATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD 2012


The answer is 2.22.

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2 solutions

Siva Prasad
Mar 29, 2016

2 R \frac{2}{R} = 1 u \frac{1}{u} + 1 v \frac{1}{v} ;

differentiating wrt to time t;

0 = - u u 2 \frac{u'}{u^2} - v v 2 \frac{v'}{v^2}

By sign convention u = -2 m; R = +2 m; frm ist eqn we get, v = +2/3 m and u' = -20kmph
and finaly frm eqn 2nd, we get. v' = 20 9 \frac{20}{9} kmph

Rwit Panda
Dec 29, 2015

When car B is at a distance 2m from car A, we can find the position of image of B in the concave mirror.

1 v + 1 2 = 2 R \frac{1}{v} + \frac{1}{-2} = \frac{2}{R}

As R=2m,

1 v + 1 2 = 2 2 \frac{1}{v} + \frac{1}{-2} = \frac{2}{2}

1 v + 1 2 = 1 \frac{1}{v} + \frac{1}{-2} = 1

v = 2 3 v=\frac{2}{3}

Now, relative velocity of B w.r.t A is 60 - 40 = 20kmph

Now, velocity of image in curved mirror = m t r a n s v e r s e 2 × ( v e l o c i t y o f o b j e c t ) -m_{transverse}^{2}\times(velocity of object)

m t = v u = 2 / 3 2 = 1 3 m_{t} = \frac{-v}{u} = \frac{-2/3}{2} = \frac{-1}{3}

m t 2 = 1 9 m_{t}^{2} = \frac{1}{9}

Therefore, velocity of image is = -\frac{1}{9}\times20 kmph = 2.22222kmph

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