Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2005/ia/paper-4/4c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ia Paper 4 4C Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
On the horizontal road the total normal reaction is . The kinetic friction force has magnitude , so Newtonian mechanics gives until rest. ThusFor the wet high-speed stage, add the four tyre drags: the total linear drag is , not . Hence and . At the switching speed , the elapsed time and distance areThe remaining stage has the same constant kinetic friction deceleration as on a dry road, but starts at . It therefore contributes time and distance . Adding both stages of the two-stage stopping under linear drag and dry friction givesThe exponential first stage reaches its positive switching speed in finite time; it need not reach zero under linear drag.
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