Acceleration

roller coasterNow that you have spent some time practicing acceleration calculations and acceleration on motion graphs, demonstrate your knowledge by correctly answering the following questions. Be sure to completely answer each question and to show all of your work.

This activity is available below or in a printable version.

Part I:  Acceleration Calculations

  1. A roller coaster car uniformly picks up speed as it rolls down a slope. As it starts down the slope, its speed is 4 m/s. However, three seconds later, at the bottom of the slope, its speed is 22 m/s. What is its acceleration?

  2. A cyclist accelerates from 0 m/s to 8 m/s in 3 seconds. What is his acceleration? Is this acceleration higher than that of a car that accelerates from 0 to 30 m/s in 8 seconds?

  3. A car advertisement states that a certain car can accelerate from rest to 70 km/h in 7 seconds. Find the car’s acceleration in units of m/s.

  4. A lizard accelerates from 2 m/s to 10 m/s in 4 seconds. What is the lizard’s average acceleration?

  5. If a sports car with an initial velocity of 10 m/s, accelerates at a rate of 7 m/s2 for 3 seconds, what will be its final velocity?

  6. A speedboat initially moving at 15 m/s slows down to a stop with an acceleration of -1.5 m/s2. How much time passes during this change in velocity?

  7. In order to catch a speeding motorist, a police officer must accelerate to +35 m/s. The police office accelerates at a rate of +2.5 m/s for 8.0 seconds to reach this velocity. What was the officer's initial velocity?

Part II:  Acceleration On Motion Graphs

For each of the graphs shown below, pick the label for the vertical axis that would make it match the given description.

  1. standing still graphStanding Still
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration





  2. negative acceleration graphNegative Acceleration
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration

 

 

  1. constant negative velocity graphConstant Negative Velocity
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration

    2.  

     

  2. Positive acceleration graphPositive Acceleration
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration

 

 

  1. constnate positive velocity graphConstant Positive Velocity
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration

 

 

  1. negative velocity graphNegative Velocity
    1. Position
    2. Velocity
    3. Acceleration

 


Assignment icon
Once you have finished answering the questions, submit your responses to the dropbox.