Question

Suppose that a nascar race car is moving to the right with a constant velocity of +86 m/s. What is the average acceleration of the car? (b) twelve seconds later, the car is halfway around the track and traveling in the opposite direction with the same speed. What is the average acceleration of the car?

Answer 1

(a) As the car is moving with constant velocity, it means the rate change of velocity does not change, therefore the average acceleration of the car is zero.

Thus, there is no acceleration, when velocity is constant.

(b) Average acceleration,

$a =\frac{ v-u}{\Delta t}$

Here, v is final velocity and u is the initial velocity and $\Delta t$ is the time interval.

As twelve seconds later, the car is halfway around the track and traveling in the opposite direction with the same speed, therefore

$a =\frac{ -86 \ m/s-86 \ m/s }{12 \ s} = - 14 .3 \ m/s^2$

Thus, the average acceleration of the car is $14 .3 \ m/s^2$ in the direction to the left.