Braking distance on level pavement at 30 km/h (effective brakes) On a level highway with effective brakes and typical dry-pavement friction, a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h will come to a stop in approximately:

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 12 metres

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Braking distance depends primarily on initial speed and available longitudinal friction. For quick checks, standard values are tabulated for typical dry conditions and effective brakes.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Initial speed V = 30 km/h = 8.33 m/s.
  • Level road; no grade effects.
  • Effective brakes on dry pavement (typical design friction in the range 0.3–0.4 used for conservative SSD in basic tables).


Concept / Approach:
Using uniform deceleration, braking distance s = v^2 / (2 * g * f). Adopting f ≈ 0.3–0.35 gives conservative distances commonly cited in design aids for low speeds.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Compute v = 8.33 m/s; v^2 ≈ 69.4.With f = 0.30, s = 69.4 / (2 * 9.81 * 0.30) ≈ 11.8 m (≈ 12 m).With f = 0.35, s ≈ 10.1 m. The 12 m choice matches a conservative tabulated value.


Verification / Alternative check:
Using highway units: s ≈ V^2 / (254 * f) = 30^2 / (254 * 0.30) ≈ 900 / 76.2 ≈ 11.8 m, consistent with the above.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
10 m is feasible but less conservative; 15 m and 18 m are excessive for the assumed conditions.



Common Pitfalls:
Forgetting to include reaction distance in full SSD; using wet or icy friction without adjusting the estimate.



Final Answer:
12 metres

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