Chapter 2 - Motion in One Dimension

Problem 7
Question
Two trains, each having a speed of 34 km/h, are headed toward each other on
the same straight track. A bird that can fly 58 km/h flies off the front of one
train when they are 102 km apart and heads directly for the other train. On
reaching the other train it flies directly back to the first train, and so forth. (a)
How many trips can the bird make from one train to the other before the trains
crash? (b) What is the total distance the bird travels?

Answer
(a) The bird will be able to make an infinite number of trips back and forth,
though its trips will become very quick. (b) The bird will be traveling at a
constant speed of vb = 58 km/h. The trains will collide in t = D/(v1 + v2 ),
where D is the initial distance, and v1 and v2 are the speeds of the respective
trains. The distance that the bird travels in this time is given by:
vb
db = vb · t = D .
v1 + v2
Solving, we find db = 87 km.