written by
Gary Gladding
published by
the University of llinois Physics Education Research Group
This is an interactive homework problem for introductory physics students relating to position and displacement. Students are asked to determine distance required for a car to overtake a slower-moving train, given times of departure for each. Both are traveling at constant velocity in the same direction.
The problem is accompanied by a Socratic-dialog "help" sequence as users do a guided conceptual analysis before attempting the mathematics. It is part of a larger collection of interactive physics problems. See Related items on this page for a link to the full collection.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/introphys/items/detail.cfm?ID=6417">Gladding, Gary. Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train. Urbana: University of llinois Physics Education Research Group, June 16, 2006.</a>
G. Gladding, (University of llinois Physics Education Research Group, Urbana, 2006), WWW Document, (https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train).
G. Gladding, Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train (University of llinois Physics Education Research Group, Urbana, 2006), <https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train>.
Gladding, G. (2006, June 16). Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train. Retrieved April 19, 2025, from University of llinois Physics Education Research Group: https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train
Gladding, Gary. Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train. Urbana: University of llinois Physics Education Research Group, June 16, 2006. https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train (accessed 19 April 2025).
Gladding, Gary. Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train. Urbana: University of llinois Physics Education Research Group, 2006. 16 June 2006. 19 Apr. 2025 <https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train>.
@misc{
Author = "Gary Gladding",
Title = {Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train},
Publisher = {University of llinois Physics Education Research Group},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {19 April 2025},
Month = {June 16, 2006},
Year = {2006}
}
%A Gary Gladding %T Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train %D June 16, 2006 %I University of llinois Physics Education Research Group %C Urbana %U https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train %O text/html
%0 Electronic Source %A Gladding, Gary %D June 16, 2006 %T Illinois PER Interactive Examples: Car Meets Train %I University of llinois Physics Education Research Group %V 2025 %N 19 April 2025 %8 June 16, 2006 %9 text/html %U https://ie.per.physics.illinois.edu/per/ie/ie.pl?phys101/ie/02/car_and_train
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