Two cars are traveling at the same constant speed v. Car A is moving along a straight section of the road, while B is rounding a circular turn. Which statement is true about the acceleration of the cars?
a.) acceleration of both cars is zero
b.) car A is accelerating but car B isnt.
c.) car A is not acc, but car B is
d.) both car accelerate.
What is the answer and how would I know? Thanks.
Velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.
Acceleration is the rate of the change of velocity.
Therefore, if the speed changes, the object is accelerating (whether it speeds up or slows down). ALSO- if the object is changing direction, the object is accelerating.
Car A is moving at a constant speed and is not changing direction.
Car B is moving at a constant speed and is changing direction.
Can you figure it out now?
The correct answer is (c) car A is not accelerating, but car B is.
To determine the correct answer, you need to understand the concept of acceleration. Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. When an object accelerates, there is a change in its velocity (speed and/or direction).
In the given scenario, both cars are traveling at the same constant speed, which means their velocities are not changing. Car A is moving along a straight section of the road, which means it is not changing its direction. Since car A is not changing its speed or direction, its velocity remains constant, and therefore, its acceleration is zero.
On the other hand, car B is rounding a circular turn. The circular motion implies a change in direction since the car is constantly turning. As a result, the velocity of car B is changing, and therefore, it experiences acceleration. The direction of acceleration in circular motion is always towards the center of the circle, which is pointing towards the center of the circular turn.
Hence, the answer is (c) car A is not accelerating, but car B is.
Well, here is a clue.
Car A is going in a straight line at constant speed. What does that say about it's acceleration?
You should be able to figure it out now.