Question

Luis accelerates at a rate of 0.5 m/s2 for 16 s, so that his final velocity is 10 m/s. What was his startin velocity?

Answer 1

To find Luis's initial velocity, we subtract the product of his acceleration and the time from his final velocity, resulting in an initial velocity of 2 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about determining the initial velocity when given the final velocity, acceleration, and time. To find the initial velocity of Luis, we can use the formula for uniform acceleration:

v = u + at

where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time. Rearranging the formula to solve for u gives us:

u = v - at

Substituting the given values (v = 10 m/s, a = 0.5 m/s², t = 16 s) into the equation gives:

u = 10 m/s - (0.5 m/s² × 16 s)

u = 10 m/s - 8 m/s

u = 2 m/s

Therefore, Luis's starting velocity was 2 m/s.