Question

A particle moving at constant acceleration has velocities of 2.0 m/s at t = 2.0 s and -7.6 m/s at t = 5.2 s. What is the acceleration of the particle?

a) a=−3.2m/s
b) a=1.2m/s
c) a=−1.5m/s
d) a=0.8m/s

Answer 1

The acceleration of a particle with velocities of 2.0 m/s at t = 2.0 s and -7.6 m/s at t = 5.2 s is calculated using the formula for acceleration. The acceleration is found to be -3.0 m/s², which corresponds to answer choice (c) a = -3.0 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the acceleration of the particle, we can use the formula:

a = (v_f - v_i) / (t_f - t_i)

where:

• a is the acceleration
• v_f is the final velocity
• v_i is the initial velocity
• t_f is the final time
• t_i is the initial time

Plugging in the values from the question:

a = (-7.6 m/s - 2.0 m/s) / (5.2 s - 2.0 s)

a = (-9.6 m/s) / (3.2 s)

a = -3.0 m/s²

Therefore, the correct answer is (c) a = -3.0 m/s².