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Tim runs 100 meters in 5 seconds. What is his acceleration in m/s²?

a. 5 m/s²
b. 10 m/s²
c. 20 m/s²
d. 25 m/s²

User Marc Asmar
by
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

Tim's acceleration is
\(10 \, \text{m/s}^2\).This is determined by dividing his final velocity of
\(20 \, \text{m/s}\) by the time of (5) seconds, yielding an acceleration of
\(4 \, \text{m/s}^2\), which is then rounded to the closest option,
\(10 \, \text{m/s}^2\).Thus,the correct option is b.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tim's acceleration can be calculated using the formula for acceleration:
\(a = (\Delta v)/(\Delta t)\), where (a) is acceleration,
\(\Delta v\) is the change in velocity, and
\(\Delta t\) is the change in time. In this case, Tim's change in velocity is the final velocity
(\(v_f\)) divided by the initial velocity
(\(v_i\)), and the change in time is the time taken ( t ). The formula becomes
\(a = (v_f - v_i)/(t)\).

Given that Tim runs 100 meters in 5 seconds, we can assume that the initial velocity
(\(v_i\)) is 0 m/s, as he starts from rest. So, the formula simplifies to
\(a = (v_f)/(t)\).

Tim's final velocity
(\(v_f\)) can be calculated using the formula
\(v_f = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}\), which gives
\(v_f = (100)/(5) = 20\) m/s. Substituting this value into the acceleration formula, we get
\(a = (20)/(5) = 4\) m/s².

However, it's important to note that acceleration has both magnitude and direction. In this context, we assume that the acceleration is in the direction of Tim's motion, which is a positive value. Therefore, Tim's acceleration is (4) m/s² in the positive direction. The closest answer choice is (b. 10) m/s², which is the correct final answer.

Therefore,the correct option is b. 10 m/s²

User Paul Parker
by
6.8k points