A man hikes up a mountain to the peak, where he rests for a few minutes and then continues down the other side of the mountain.We measure his location as distance up from the base of the mountain.What can be said about the man's velocity when he is hiking down the mountain?
A) Velocity is positive.
B) Velocity is negative.
C) Velocity is 0.
D) None of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Velocity is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. When the man is hiking down the mountain, his direction is opposite to when he was hiking up. If we consider "up" as the positive direction, then moving "down" would be in the negative direction, making his velocity negative.

A Man Hikes Up a Mountain to the Peak, Where