Final answer:
The plus and minus signs in physics indicate direction and polarity. They are used in circuit analysis to determine the sign of the change in potential and in one-dimensional motion to represent the direction of acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used in physics to indicate direction and polarity. In circuit analysis, the plus and minus signs are used when applying the loop rule to determine the sign of the change in potential. The plus sign (+) is used to indicate a direction or a positive value, while the minus sign (-) is used to indicate the opposite direction or a negative value.
For example, in a circuit, when traversing a loop, if the potential increases from point A to point B, it is represented as +ΔV. On the other hand, if the potential decreases from point A to point B, it is represented as -ΔV.
Similarly, in one-dimensional motion, the plus and minus signs are used to represent the direction of acceleration. A positive acceleration indicates an increase in velocity in the positive direction, while a negative acceleration indicates a decrease in velocity in the negative direction.