Question

When a bus comes to a sudden stop to avoid hitting a dog, it slows from 9.00 m/s to 0.00 m/s in 1.50 seconds. Find the average acceleration of the bus.

a) -6.00 m/s²
b) -4.00 m/s²
c) -3.00 m/s²
d) -2.00 m/s²

Answer 1

To calculate the average acceleration of the bus, the change in velocity is divided by the time interval, resulting in an average acceleration of -6.00 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked about the average acceleration of a bus that comes to a sudden stop on a straight road. To find the average acceleration, you'd use the formula:

a = Δv / Δt

where:

• Δv is the change in velocity (final velocity minus initial velocity)
• Δt is the change in time

In this case, the change in velocity (Δv) is 0.0 m/s (final velocity) minus 9.00 m/s (initial velocity), which equals -9.00 m/s. The time (Δt) is 1.50 seconds. Plugging these values into the formula, we get:

a = (-9.00 m/s) / 1.50 s = -6.00 m/s²

Therefore, the correct answer is (a) -6.00 m/s².