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When is acceleration neg?

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Anonymous

11y ago
Updated: 10/22/2022

Acceleration is negative if velocity is decreasing with time. Since velocity is a vector this can occur in one of two ways:

1) you are slowing down in the direction of motion and the velocity in that direction is defined as positive (this is what we usually mean by negative acceleration)

2) you are speeding up in the direction of motion and the velocity in that direction is defined as negative.

An example of this is an object launched into the air which immediately starts to decelerate in it's upward velocity, reaches it's highest velocity, and then begins accelerating towards the ground. If we call the velocity upward a positive velocity, then when it starts falling, it has negative velocity. Note that acceleration (due to gravity) is negative the whole time.

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Lesly Jaskolski

Lvl 13
2y ago

What else can I help you with?