A car travels along a highway with a velocity of 24 m/s, west. The car exits the highway; and 4.0 s later, its instantaneous velocity is 16 m/s, 45° north of west. What is the magnitude of the average acceleration of the car during the four-second interval? A)2.4 m/s² B)4.5 m/s² C)1.2 m/s² D)11 m/s² E)17 m/s²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average acceleration is calculated by finding the change in velocity vector divided by the time interval. The initial velocity is 24 m/s west, and the final velocity is 16 m/s at 45° north of west. By breaking the final velocity into components and calculating the change in each direction, the magnitude of the average acceleration is found to be approximately 4.5 m/s².

A Car Travels Along a Highway with a Velocity of 24