Passage VI

Three cars were employed in a study of relative motion. Cars X and Y moved along an east-west highway. Car Z was always parked beside the highway between Cars X and Y (see Figure 1; figure not to scale).

During each trial, a passenger in each of the 3 cars used a radar gun to measure the velocities, in m/sec, of the other 2 cars. If 2 cars got farther apart, the velocity of each car, as measured from the other car, would be positive. If 2 cars got closer together, the velocity of each car, as measured from the other car, would be negative.

Table 1 lists the symbols used to represent the measured velocities. Table 2 gives the results of various trials.

32. Suppose that an additional trial is conducted, with the results VXZ = -3 m/sec, VZX = -3 m/sec, VYZ = -1 m/sec, and VZY = -1 m/sec. In this additional trial, VYX is most likely closest to which of the following?

Answer and Explanation

Your Answer is

Correct Answer is J

Explanation

The speeds given in the question stem are all negative numbers, indicating that the distance between the vehicles is decreasing and the vehicles are approaching each other.

Car X travels 3 m to the east every second, and Car Y travels 1 m to the west every second, so VYX= -(3+1)= -4< /p>