Final answer:
The acceleration of the car is 5 m/s² north. It is calculated by dividing the change in velocity (-10 m/s) by the time interval (2 seconds), resulting in a negative acceleration indicating the direction opposite to the southward motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the acceleration of a car that changes its velocity from 15 m/s south to 5 m/s south in 2 seconds. To find the acceleration, we can use the formula:
A = Δv / Δt
where Δv (change in velocity) = final velocity (Vf) - initial velocity (Vi), and Δt (change in time) is the time over which the change occurs
In this case:
Δv = 5 m/s south - 15 m/s south = -10 m/s (the negative sign indicates a decrease in speed)
Δt = 2 s
Therefore:
A = (-10 m/s) / 2 s = -5 m/s²
The negative sign in the acceleration indicates that the acceleration is in the direction opposite to the motion, which is north in this case. So the correct answer is 5 m/s² north, which corresponds to option A.