The position of a particle as it moves along the x axis is given by x = 15e−2t m, where t is in s. What is the acceleration of the particle at t = 1.0 s?
A)22 m/s
B)60 m/s
C)8.1 m/s
D)15 m/s
E)35 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We know that acceleration is the second derivative of position with respect to time. Hence, taking the derivative of x with respect to time twice, we get:
a = d²x/dt² = -4(15)e^(-2t)
At t=1.0 s, 
a = -4(15)e^(-2)= 8.1 m/s² (rounding off to one decimal place)

The Position of a Particle as It Moves Along the X