Final answer:
The acceleration of the ball rolling down the ramp is 0.2 m/s^2, calculated using the equation of motion for uniformly accelerated movement without initial velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the acceleration of a ball that starts from rest and travels a certain distance down a ramp over a known time period, we can use the equations of motion for uniformly accelerated motion. It is given that the ball travels 0.9 meters in 3 seconds from rest.
The equation that relates distance (s), initial velocity (u), time (t), and acceleration (a) is:
s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2
Since the initial velocity u is 0 m/s (because the ball starts from rest), the equation simplifies to:
s = \frac{1}{2}at^2
Rearranging this equation to solve for acceleration yields:
a = \frac{2s}{t^2}
Plugging in the given values:
a = \frac{2 * 0.9 m}{(3 s)^2} = \frac{1.8 m}{9 s^2} = 0.2 m/s^2
Therefore, the acceleration of the ball is 0.2 m/s2.