Question: A student is speeding down Route 11 in his fancy red Porsche when his radar system warns him of an obstacle 400 feet ahead. He immediately applies the brakes, starts to slow down, and spots a skunk in the road directly ahead of him. The "black box" in the Porsche records the car's speed every two seconds, producing the following table. The speed decreases throughout the 10 seconds it takes to stop, although not necessarily at a constant rate.
(a) What is your best estimate of the total distance the student's car traveled before coming to rest?
(b) Which one of the following statements can you justify from the information given?
(i) The car stopped before getting to the skunk.
(ii) The "black box" data is inconclusive. The skunk may or may not have been hit.
(iii) The skunk was hit by the car.