Final answer:
The child's speed at the end of the 4.0-second interval is 3 m/s, calculated by using the formula for final velocity, considering the negative acceleration implies deceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
A child riding a bicycle initially at 15 meters per second is accelerating at -3.0 meters per second squared for 4.0 seconds. To find the child's speed at the end of this interval, we can use the formula for final velocity which is v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time.
Here, the initial velocity u is 15 m/s, the acceleration a is -3.0 m/s², and time t is 4.0 s. Plugging in these values, we get:
v = 15 m/s + (-3.0 m/s²)(4.0 s)
v = 15 m/s - 12 m/s
V = 3 m/s
Therefore, the child's speed at the end of the 4.0-second interval is 3 m/s.