An airplane accelerates steadily from rest to 355 m/s, after travelling a distance of 105,000 m. How long, in minutes, does it take the airplane to reach this speed?

The first step is to identify which components of the ‘SUVAT equations of motion’ the question gives us. Here we have the initial (u) and final (v) speeds, the distance (s) and we are trying to calculate the time (t). This identification allows us to use s = t [(u+v)/2]. Rearranging the equation to make time the subject gives t = s / [(u+v)/2]. Plugging in the numbers given in the question gives us an answer in seconds but we must remember to divide by 60 to get the answer in minutes. One final thing to note, is to remember to round your final answer to 3 significant figures, as the values given in the question are also to 3 significant figures. This would give us an answer of t = 105,000 / [(0+355)/2] = 9.86 minutes.