Final answer:
The equation 'V = u + at' relates an object's final velocity to its initial velocity, acceleration, and time, and is essential in physics for problems involving motion with constant acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation V = u + at is a fundamental formula in physics that relates the final velocity (V) of an object to its initial velocity (u), acceleration (a), and time (t). Here, final velocity (V) is the velocity of the object at the end of the acceleration period, initial velocity (u) is the velocity at the beginning before any acceleration occurs, average acceleration (a) is the constant rate of change of velocity, and (t) represents the time for which the acceleration is applied.
For example, if a car starts from a velocity of 30 km/h and accelerates at a constant rate to 60 km/h over a period of 5 seconds, we can use this equation to calculate the average acceleration. If the final velocity (V) is 60 km/h, the initial velocity (u) is 30 km/h, and the time (t) is 5 seconds, we insert these values into the formula to find the acceleration.
This equation is derived from the motion equations for constant acceleration in one dimension and can be visually represented on a velocity-time graph where the slope of the line indicates the acceleration.