Kinematic Concepts - Mission KC9 Detailed Help


TRUE or FALSE: A car can be moving to the right and have a leftward acceleration.

(Note: The actual statement is picked at random from a collection of questions and may differ from the one stated above.)


 
Direction of Acceleration:
Acceleration is a vector quantity and it has a direction. For an object moving in a straight line, the direction of the acceleration is dependent upon two factors:
 
  • the direction that the object moves, and
  • whether the object is speeding up or slowing down
 
If an object is speeding up, then the direction of the acceleration is in the same direction that the object is moving. If an object is slowing down, then the direction of its acceleration is in the opposite direction that the object is moving.


 
Acceleration is a vector quantity and it has a direction. The direction of acceleration depends on the two factors described in the Know the Law section. Careful attention must be given to both factors. Dissect the sentence looking for information about both factors. Then use the principle above to answer the question.