Question

If a certain car going with speed v1 rounds a level curve, what can be said about the car's acceleration?

1) The car's acceleration is zero.
2) The car's acceleration is constant.
3) The car's acceleration is changing.
4) The car's acceleration cannot be determined.

Answer 1

When a car goes around a curve with a constant speed, its acceleration is changing because the direction of the car's velocity is changing.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a car goes around a curve with a constant speed, its acceleration is changing. Although the speed is constant, the direction of the car's velocity is changing, which means there is a change in velocity. Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, the car is accelerating. This is because velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. Even if the magnitude of velocity remains constant, the change in direction constitutes a change in velocity and therefore acceleration.