asked 72.0k views
2 votes
A car is traveling 10 m/s North, but then slows down for a jogger to cross the street. What is the direction of the car’s acceleration when it is slowing down?

asked
User Jamiek
by
7.7k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The direction of the car's acceleration when it slows down is South, opposite to the direction of its initial motion which is North.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a car that is initially traveling 10 m/s North slows down, the direction of the car's acceleration is to the South. This is because acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity, and when a car slows down, its change in velocity is in the opposite direction of its initial motion.

So if the initial motion is North, the deceleration, which is technically an acceleration with a negative value, is towards the South.

answered
User Ulf Rompe
by
8.2k points
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