Question

The boat accelerates at a constant rate in a straight line. This causes the velocity of the water skier to increase from 4.0m/s to 16.0m/s in 8 seconds.

Calculate the acceleration

Answer 1

The water skier's acceleration is calculated using the formula a = (v - u) / t, leading to an acceleration of 1.5 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the acceleration of the water skier, we can use the formula derived from one of the kinematic equations, which is a = (v - u) / t, where:

• v is the final velocity
• u is the initial velocity
• t is the time taken

Given the question, we have:

• v = 16.0 m/s (final velocity)
• u = 4.0 m/s (initial velocity)
• t = 8 seconds (time taken)

Plugging the values into the formula, we calculate the acceleration:

a = (16.0 m/s - 4.0 m/s) / 8 s

a = (12 m/s) / 8 s

a = 1.5 m/s²

Thus, the water skier accelerates at a rate of 1.5 meters per second squared (1.5 m/s²).