A subway train accelerates from rest to 30.0 km/h (8.33 m/s) in 20.0 s. What is its average acceleration?
AAbout 0.417 m/s²
BAbout 1.50 m/s²
CAbout 8.33 m/s²
DAbout 20.0 m/s²
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. About 0.417 m/s²
1. Average acceleration = change in velocity / change in time.
2. The train starts from rest, so the change in velocity is simply the final velocity: 8.33 m/s − 0 m/s = 8.33 m/s.
3. Divide by the elapsed time: a = 8.33 m/s / 20.0 s ≈ 0.417 m/s².
4. 8.33 m/s² wrongly treats the velocity value itself as the acceleration
20.0 m/s² wrongly treats the time value as the acceleration
1.50 m/s² does not correspond to either given number divided correctly.
5. So the train's average acceleration is about 0.417 m/s², directed the same way as its motion since it is speeding up.
_Source: OpenStax Physics Ch 3 "Acceleration", p.101 Worked Example §3.1 Acceleration_
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