Using Mathematics in an Accident Investigation

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The Mathematics of an Accident Investigation
Question A car traveling 30 MPH leaves a 33.33 ft
skid mark. A 2nd car of the same type same
tires, on the same type of road, leaves a 50 ft
skid mark. How fast was this 2nd car
going? CHOICE A 35 MPH CHOICE B About 45
MPH CHOICE C About 48 MPH CHOICE D Can Not Be
Determined
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Answer CHOICE A About 35MPH The skid mark
length D varies directly as the square of the
velocity V. So we get where
k is a constant and calculates to 0.037
using the data D33.33,
V30. Solving this for v results in
which results in about 35MPH when D50.
Note In an actual accident investigation, the
police use a machine that tests the road surface.
Then, using stored data matching the road type,
car type, and tire conditions, the skid mark
length may be used to calculate of velocity.
Here is a still from the video!
For More Info on The Mathematics Used See Math
Used In An Accident Investigation