Final answer:
To calculate the acceleration of a car that slows down from 12 m/s to 2 m/s in 4 seconds, use the formula a = (Vf - Vi) / t. The acceleration in this case is -2.5 m/s², indicating deceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is about calculating the acceleration of a car that changes its velocity over a certain time interval. To find the acceleration for the car that slows down uniformly from an initial velocity of 12 meters per second east to 2 meters per second east in 4.0 seconds, we can use the formula a = (Vf - Vi) / t, where a is acceleration, Vf is the final velocity, Vi is the initial velocity, and t is the time interval.
In this case:
Vi = 12 m/s,
Vf = 2 m/s,
t = 4.0 s.
So the acceleration would be:
a = (2 m/s - 12 m/s) / 4.0 s
a = (-10 m/s) / 4.0 s
a = -2.5 m/s²
The negative sign indicates that the car is decelerating, or slowing down.