To find the initial speed of the car when it began accelerating, we can use the following kinematic equation:
v^2 = u^2 + 2as
where: v = final velocity = 32 m/s u = initial velocity (unknown) a = acceleration = 1.4 m/s^2 s = distance traveled = 350 m
Rearranging the equation, we get:
u^2 = v^2 - 2as
Substituting the given values:
u^2 = (32 m/s)^2 - 2 * (1.4 m/s^2) * (350 m) u^2 = 1024 m^2/s^2 - 980 m^2/s^2 u^2 = 44 m^2/s^2
Taking the square root of both sides, we find:
u = √(44 m^2/s^2) u ≈ 6.63 m/s
Therefore, the speed of the car when it began accelerating was approximately 6.63 m/s.