Question

Claudia is accelerating to get on the interstate. At the beginning of the south-facing on-ramp, she is traveling at 11 m/s. When she reaches the end of the on-ramp 9.0 seconds later, she is traveling at 29 m/s. Assuming south to be the negative direction, what is Claudia's average rate of acceleration during this period?

A) 3.1 m/s²
B) -3.1 m/s²
C) 1.9 m/s²
D) -1.9 m/s²

Answer 1

The average rate of acceleration for Claudia as she gets onto the interstate and travels southward is -4.44 m/s², taking into account that south is the negative direction. The value does not match any of the provided answer choices, suggesting a potential error in the question or the options given.

Step-by-step explanation:

Claudia's average rate of acceleration can be calculated using the formula for acceleration (a) which is the change in velocity (Δv) divided by the change in time (Δt). From the details provided, Claudia's change in velocity is 29 m/s - 11 m/s = 18 m/s, and time taken is 9.0 seconds. Therefore, the average acceleration is:

a = Δv / Δt = (29 m/s - (-11 m/s)) / 9.0 s = 40 m/s / 9.0 s = 4.44 m/s²

However, since south is considered the negative direction, the acceleration will be negative. Hence, the answer is -4.44 m/s², which is not listed in the options provided. There might be a mistake in the question or the given choices, as none of the options A) 3.1 m/s² B) -3.1 m/s² C) 1.9 m/s² D) -1.9 m/s² match the calculated value.