Final answer:
The acceleration of an object whose speed changes from 20 m/s to 60 m/s in 2.0 seconds is 20 m/s². The object moved 80 meters during this time.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the acceleration of an object moving with constant acceleration, we use the formula a = ∆v / t, where ∆v is the change in velocity and t is the time taken for this change. In this case, the change in velocity (∆v) is 60 m/s - 20 m/s = 40 m/s. Given that this change occurs over a period of 2.0 seconds, the acceleration a would be 40 m/s / 2.0 s = 20 m/s².
Next, to find out how far the object moved in this time, we can use the formula for displacement under constant acceleration, s = ut + 0.5at², where u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is time. Substituting our values, we get s = (20 m/s)(2.0 s) + 0.5(20 m/s²)(2.0 s)² = 40 m + 40 m, which results in the object moving a distance of 80 meters.