The bee and the braking train
A train enters a station at 50 m/s and brakes with uniform deceleration, coming to a complete stop exactly at the end of the platform, 500 m from the entrance. At the instant the train enters, a bee takes off from the buffers at the end of the platform and flies straight towards the train at 40 m/s. When it reaches the front of the train it turns round and flies back to the buffers, then back to the train, and so on, until the train stops and the bee is crushed against the buffers.
How far does the bee fly in total?
Show a hint
Do not add up the legs. Find how long the whole thing takes.
Your answer
Solving needs a free account
Answers, streaks and solutions unlock when you are signed in. Reading the question and the hint stays free.
Discussion
💡 Discussion rules
- No full solutions here. Hints and approaches only.
- Complexity, edge cases and intuition are the point.
- Interview experiences are welcome. Respect your NDAs.
Loading discussion…
Learn the concepts
The theory behind this question.