Answer:
The braking distance would be about nine times as long (assuming that acceleration during braking stays the same.)
Explanation:
Let [tex]u[/tex] denote the initial velocity of the vehicle ([tex]20\; \text{mph}[/tex] or [tex]60\; \text{mph}[/tex]) and let [tex]v[/tex] denote the velocity of the vehicle after braking ([tex]0\; \text{mph}[/tex]). Let [tex]x[/tex] denote the braking distance.
Assume that the acceleration during braking are both constantly [tex]a[/tex] in both scenarios. The SUVAT equations would apply. In particular:
[tex]\begin{aligned} x &= \frac{v^{2} - u^{2}}{2\, a}\end{aligned}[/tex].
Since [tex]v = 0[/tex] (the vehicle has completely stopped), the equation becomes [tex]x = (-u^{2}) / (2\, a)[/tex].
Assuming that [tex]a[/tex] (braking acceleration) stays the same, the braking distance [tex]x[/tex] would be proportional to [tex]u^{2}[/tex], the square of the initial velocity.
Hence, increasing the initial speed from [tex]20\; \text{mph}[/tex] to [tex]60\; \text{mph}[/tex] would increase the braking distance by a factor of [tex]3^{2} = 9[/tex].
