Perhaps the most important thing to note about these examples is the signs of the answers. In our chosen coordinate system, plus means the quantity is to the right and minus means it is to the left. This is easy to imagine for displacement and velocity. But it is a little less obvious for acceleration. Most people interpret negative acceleration as the slowing of an object. This was not the case in
[link] , where a positive acceleration slowed a negative velocity. The crucial distinction was that the acceleration was in the opposite direction from the velocity. In fact, a negative acceleration will
increase a negative velocity. For example, the train moving to the left in
[link] is sped up by an acceleration to the left. In that case, both
and
are negative. The plus and minus signs give the directions of the accelerations. If acceleration has the same sign as the velocity, the object is speeding up. If acceleration has the opposite sign as the velocity, the object is slowing down.
An airplane lands on a runway traveling east. Describe its acceleration.
If we take east to be positive, then the airplane has negative acceleration, as it is accelerating toward the west. It is also decelerating: its acceleration is opposite in direction to its velocity.
Learn about position, velocity, and acceleration graphs. Move the little man back and forth with the mouse and plot his motion. Set the position, velocity, or acceleration and let the simulation move the man for you.
Section summary
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes. In symbols,
average acceleration
is
The SI unit for acceleration is
.
Acceleration is a vector, and thus has a both a magnitude and direction.
Acceleration can be caused by either a change in the magnitude or the direction of the velocity.
Instantaneous acceleration
is the acceleration at a specific instant in time.
Deceleration is an acceleration with a direction opposite to that of the velocity.
Conceptual questions
Is it possible for speed to be constant while acceleration is not zero? Give an example of such a situation.
If a subway train is moving to the left (has a negative velocity) and then comes to a stop, what is the direction of its acceleration? Is the acceleration positive or negative?
Plus and minus signs are used in one-dimensional motion to indicate direction. What is the sign of an acceleration that reduces the magnitude of a negative velocity? Of a positive velocity?
Dr. John Paul Stapp was U.S. Air Force officer who studied the effects of extreme deceleration on the human body. On December 10, 1954, Stapp rode a rocket sled, accelerating from rest to a top speed of 282 m/s (1015 km/h) in 5.00 s, and was brought jarringly back to rest in only 1.40 s! Calculate his (a) acceleration and (b) deceleration. Express each in multiples of
by taking its ratio to the acceleration of gravity.
A commuter backs her car out of her garage with an acceleration of
. (a) How long does it take her to reach a speed of 2.00 m/s? (b) If she then brakes to a stop in 0.800 s, what is her deceleration?
Assume that an intercontinental ballistic missile goes from rest to a suborbital speed of 6.50 km/s in 60.0 s (the actual speed and time are classified). What is its average acceleration in
and in multiples of
A cart is constrained to move along a straight line. A varying net force along the direction of motion is exerted on the cart. The cart's velocity
v as a function of time
t is shown in the graph. The five labeled points divide the graph into four sections.
Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitude of the average acceleration of the cart during the four sections of the graph?
Push a book across a table and observe it slow to a stop.
Draw graphs showing the book's position vs. time and velocity vs. time if the direction of its motion is considered positive.
Draw graphs showing the book's position vs. time and velocity vs. time if the direction of its motion is considered negative.
The position vs. time graph should be represented with a positively sloped line whose slope steadily decreases to zero. The
y -intercept of the graph may be any value. The line on the velocity vs. time graph should have a positive
y -intercept and a negative slope. Because the final velocity of the book is zero, the line should finish on the
x -axis.
The position vs. time graph should be represented with a negatively sloped line whose slope steadily decreases to zero. The
y -intercept of the graph may be any value. The line on the velocity vs. time graph should have a negative
y -intercept and a positive slope. Because the final velocity of the book is zero, the line should finish on the
x -axis.]
Wayne and Dennis like to ride the bike path from Riverside Park to the beach. Dennis’s speed is seven miles per hour faster than Wayne’s speed, so it takes Wayne 2 hours to ride to the beach while it takes Dennis 1.5 hours for the ride. Find the speed of both bikers.
from theory: distance [miles] = speed [mph] × time [hours]
info #1
speed_Dennis × 1.5 = speed_Wayne × 2
=> speed_Wayne = 0.75 × speed_Dennis (i)
info #2
speed_Dennis = speed_Wayne + 7 [mph] (ii)
use (i) in (ii) => [...]
speed_Dennis = 28 mph
speed_Wayne = 21 mph
George
Let W be Wayne's speed in miles per hour and D be Dennis's speed in miles per hour. We know that W + 7 = D and W * 2 = D * 1.5.
Substituting the first equation into the second:
W * 2 = (W + 7) * 1.5
W * 2 = W * 1.5 + 7 * 1.5
0.5 * W = 7 * 1.5
W = 7 * 3 or 21
W is 21
D = W + 7
D = 21 + 7
D = 28
Salma
Devon is 32 32 years older than his son, Milan. The sum of both their ages is 54 54. Using the variables d d and m m to represent the ages of Devon and Milan, respectively, write a system of equations to describe this situation. Enter the equations below, separated by a comma.
please why is it that the 0is in the place of ten thousand
Grace
Send the example to me here and let me see
Stephen
A meditation garden is in the shape of a right triangle, with one leg 7 feet. The length of the hypotenuse is one more than the length of one of the other legs. Find the lengths of the hypotenuse and the other leg
however, may I ask you some questions about Algarba?
Amoon
hi
Enock
what the last part of the problem mean?
Roger
The Jones family took a 15 mile canoe ride down the Indian River in three hours. After lunch, the return trip back up the river took five hours. Find the rate, in mph, of the canoe in still water and the rate of the current.
Shakir works at a computer store. His weekly pay will be either a fixed amount, $925, or $500 plus 12% of his total sales. How much should his total sales be for his variable pay option to exceed the fixed amount of $925.
I'm guessing, but it's somewhere around $4335.00 I think
Lewis
12% of sales will need to exceed 925 - 500, or 425 to exceed fixed amount option. What amount of sales does that equal? 425 ÷ (12÷100) = 3541.67. So the answer is sales greater than 3541.67.
Check:
Sales = 3542
Commission 12%=425.04
Pay = 500 + 425.04 = 925.04.
925.04 > 925.00
Munster
difference between rational and irrational numbers
Jazmine trained for 3 hours on Saturday. She ran 8 miles and then biked 24 miles. Her biking speed is 4 mph faster than her running speed. What is her running speed?