Question

A cyclist going downhill is accelerating at 1.2 m/s2. If the final velocity of the cyclist is 16 m/s after 10 seconds, what is the cyclist’s initial velocity?

Answer 1

the answer to the problem is 4m/s

Answer 2

Change in velocity (
`\Delta v`) is acceleration (
`a`) times time (
`t`)

Acceleration
`a=1.2\ m/s^(2)`
Time
`t=10\ s`
So
`\Delta v=at=1.2\ m/s^(2)*10\ s=12\ m/s`

The initial velocity is then
`16\ m/s-12\ m/s=4\ m/s`