3 | Acceleration 1

3 | ACCELERATION
The Instructor Answer Guide for Physics contains the worked-out answers to questions that
appear at the end of each chapter. Grasp Check Questions, which occur in the body text of
sections, and Practice Problems and Check Your Understanding exercises, which occur at the
end of sections, are not included in the Instructor Answer Guide for this book.

CHAPTER REVIEW
Concept Item
3.1 Acceleration
1 How can you use the definition of acceleration to explain the units in which acceleration is
measured?
A Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. Therefore, its unit is meter per second
squared (m/s2).
B Acceleration is the rate of change of displacement. Therefore, its unit is meter per
second (m/s).
C Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. Therefore, its unit is meter squared per
second (m2/s).
D Acceleration is the rate of change of displacement. Therefore, its unit is meter squared
per second (m2/s).
Solution The correct answer is (A). Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. The units of
velocity are meter per second (m/s). The rate of change means that acceleration is
the change in velocity per second. This puts another s in the denominator, resulting
in units of meter per second squared (m/s2).
2 What are the SI units of acceleration?
A m2/s
B cm2/s
C m/s2
D cm/s2
Solution The correct answer is (C). This is because acceleration is the change in velocity over
the change in time, so using unit analysis, we see it reduces to meter per second
(m/s), velocity, over seconds, time, or meter per second per second (m/s/s).
3 Which statement explains why a racecar going around a curve is accelerating, even if the
speed is constant?
A The car is accelerating because the magnitude as well as the direction of velocity is
changing.

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B The car is accelerating because the magnitude of velocity is changing.

C The car is accelerating because the direction of velocity is changing.
D The car is accelerating because neither the magnitude nor the direction of velocity is
changing.
Solution The correct answer is (C). The car’s direction is changing to follow the curve.
Therefore, it is accelerating.
3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs
4 A student calculated the final velocity of a train that decelerated from 30.5 m/s and got an
answer of . What might indicate that he made a mistake in his calculation?
A The sign of the final velocity is wrong.
B The magnitude of the answer is too small.
C There are too few significant digits in the answer.
D The units in the initial velocity are incorrect.
Solution The correct answer is (A). The sign of the final velocity is wrong. If the train
decelerated, the final velocity is likely still positive or zero but less than 30.5 m/s.
Therefore, there is likely a sign error in the velocity.
5 Create your own kinematics problem. Then, create a flow chart showing the steps
someone would need to take to solve the problem.
Solution Answers will vary. Sample answer: The answer will depend on the problem created,
but typical steps would include (1) assigning variables, (2) converting units so they
are equivalent (if necessary), (3) selecting the appropriate kinematic equation, and
(4) solving for the answer.
6 Which kinematic equation would you use to find the velocity of a skydiver 2.0 s after she
jumps from a plane and before she opens her parachute?

D
Solution The correct answer is (A). Since this is a free-fall problem, we know that initial
velocity is zero and acceleration is due to gravity, a known value, and we were given
time. This leaves velocity as the only unknown, which is what we are looking for.

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Critical Thinking Items

3.1 Acceleration
7 Imagine that a car is traveling from your left to your right at a constant velocity. Which
two actions could the driver take that may be represented as (a) a velocity vector and an
acceleration vector both pointing to the right and then (b) changing so the velocity vector
points to the right and the acceleration vector points to the left?

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A (a) Push down on the accelerator and then (b) push down again on the accelerator a
second time.
B (a) Push down on the accelerator and then (b) push down on the brakes.
C (a) Push down on the brakes and then (b) push down on the brakes a second time.
D (a) Push down on the brakes and then (b) push down on the accelerator.
Solution The correct answer is (B). The acceleration and velocity vectors will point in the
same direction when the driver pushes down on the accelerator and they will point in opposite
direction when the brakes are applied.
8 A motorcycle moving at a constant velocity suddenly accelerates at a rate of 4.0 m/s 2 to a
speed of 35 m/s in 5.0 s. What was the initial speed of the motorcycle?

B
C 15.00 m/s
D 33.75 m/s
Solution The correct answer is (C).

3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs

9 A student is asked to solve the following problem:
An object falls from a height for 2.0 s, at which point it is still 60 m above the ground. What
will be the velocity of the object when it hits the ground?
Which option provides the correct order of kinematic equations that can be used to solve
the problem?

A First use , then use

B First use , then use

C First use , then use

D First use , then use

Solution The correct answer is (B). Using the first equation will let you find the final velocity,
since we know the time, initial velocity, and acceleration. We then use the second

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equation, substituting the final velocity from the first part as the initial velocity, to
find the final velocity at the ground.
10 Skydivers are affected by acceleration due to gravity and by air resistance. Eventually,
they reach a speed where the force of gravity is almost equal to the force of air resistance.
As they approach that point, their acceleration decreases in magnitude to near zero.
Part A. Describe the shape of the graph of the magnitude of the acceleration versus time for
a falling skydiver.
Part B. Describe the shape of the graph of the magnitude of the velocity versus time for a
falling skydiver.
Part C. Describe the shape of the graph of the magnitude of the displacement versus time
for a falling skydiver.
A Part A. Begins with a nonzero y-intercept with a downward slope that levels off at
zero; Part B. Begins at zero with an upward slope that decreases in magnitude until
the curve levels off; Part C. Begins at zero with an upward slope that increases in
magnitude until it becomes a positive constant
B Part A. Begins with a nonzero y-intercept with an upward slope that levels off at zero;
Part B. Begins at zero with an upward slope that decreases in magnitude until the
curve levels off; Part C. Begins at zero with an upward slope that increases in
magnitude until it becomes a positive constant
C Part A. Begins with a nonzero y-intercept with a downward slope that levels off at
zero; Part B. Begins at zero with a downward slope that decreases in magnitude until
the curve levels off; Part C. Begins at zero with an upward slope that increases in
magnitude until it becomes a positive constant
D Part A. Begins with a nonzero y-intercept with an upward slope that levels off at zero;
Part B. Begins at zero with a downward slope that decreases in magnitude until the
curve levels off; Part C. Begins at zero with an upward slope that increases in
magnitude until it becomes a positive constant
Solution The correct answer is (A). Part A. The acceleration versus time graph has a
downward slope that begins at 9.80 m/s2 and levels off at 0. Part B. The velocity
versus time graph begins at zero and has an upward slope that decreases until it
levels off when the force of air resistance equals that of gravity. Part C. The
displacement versus time graph begins at zero and has an upward slope that
increases until it becomes constant (but still sloping up) when the force of air
resistance equals that of gravity.
11 Which graph in the previous problem has a positive slope?
A Displacement versus time only
B Acceleration versus time and velocity versus time
C Velocity versus time and displacement versus time

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D Acceleration versus time and displacement versus time

Solution The correct answer is (C). An upward slope on a graph indicates a positive slope.
Problems
3.1 Acceleration
12 The driver of a sports car traveling at 10.0 m/s steps down hard on the accelerator for
5.0 s and the velocity increases to 30.0 m/s. What was the average acceleration of the car
during the 5.0-s time interval?

D
Solution The correct answer is (C).

13 A girl rolls a basketball across a basketball court. The ball slowly decelerates at a rate of
. If the initial velocity was 2.0 m/s and the ball rolled to a stop at 5.0 s after
12:00 p.m., at what time did she start the ball rolling?
A 0.1 s before noon
B 0.1 s after noon
C 5 s before noon
D 5 s after noon
Solution The correct answer is (C).

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Since the time it took to stop was 10 s and it stopped at 5 s after noon, it started rolling at 5 s
before noon.
3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs
14 A swan on a lake gets airborne by flapping its wings and running on top of the water. If
the swan must reach a velocity of 6.00 m/s to take off and it accelerates from rest at a
constant rate of 0.350 m/s2, how far will it travel before becoming airborne?
A
B 8.60 m
C
D 51.4 m
Solution The correct answer is (D).

15 A swimmer bounces straight up from a diving board and falls feet first into a pool. She
starts with a velocity of 4.00 m/s and her takeoff point is 8 m above the pool. How long
are her feet in the air?
A 0.408 s
B 0.816 s
C 1.34 s
D 1.75 s
E 1.28 s

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Solution The correct answer is (D). Note—We only want the positive time solution.

Performance Task
3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs
16 Design an experiment to measure displacement and elapsed time. Use the data to
calculate final velocity, average velocity, acceleration, and deceleration.
● A small marble or ball bearing
● A garden hose
● A measuring tape
● A stopwatch or stopwatch software download
● A sloping driveway or lawn as long as the garden hose with a level area beyond
Part A. How would you use the garden hose, stopwatch, marble, measuring tape, and slope
to measure displacement and elapsed time? Hint—The marble is the accelerating object,
and the length of the hose is total displacement.
Part B. How would you use the displacement and time data to calculate velocity, average
velocity, and acceleration? Which kinematic equations would you use?
Part C. How would you use the materials, the measured and calculated data, and the flat
area below the slope to determine the negative acceleration? What would you measure,
and which kinematic equation would you use?
Solution This performance task supports NGSS HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim
that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among
the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
Part A. Insert the marble (without a push) into the end of the hose at the top of the slope. With
the stopwatch, measure the time, t, from when the marble was introduced at the
top until it appears at the bottom. The length of the hose is displacement, x.
Part B. Use equation 1 to calculate average velocity; use equation 2 to calculate velocity; and
use equation 3 to calculate acceleration.

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Part C. Measure the time from when the marble comes out of the hose until it
stops to get t. You will not need x. Use the average v measurement from above for
v0. The value of v is zero. Use Equation 3 to calculate deceleration. The sign of a will
be minus.

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TEST PREP
Multiple Choice
3.1 Acceleration
17 Which variable represents displacement?
A a
B d
C t
D v
Solution The correct answer is (B). Displacement of any object is indicated by the variable d.
18 If a velocity increases from 0 to 20 m/s in 10 s, what is the average acceleration?
A 0.5 m/s2
E 2 m/s2
F 10 m/s2
G 30 m/s2
Solution The correct answer is (B).

3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs

19 For the motion of a falling object, which graphs are straight lines?
A Acceleration versus time only
B Displacement versus time only
C Displacement versus time and acceleration versus time
D Velocity versus time and acceleration versus time
Solution The correct answer is (D). The velocity versus time graph would have a straight line
upward, as the velocity is increasing at a constant rate over time. The acceleration
versus time graph should be a horizontal, straight line, since the acceleration due to
gravity is constant near the surface of the earth.
20 A bullet in a gun is accelerated from the firing chamber to the end of the barrel at an
average rate of for . What is the bullet’s final velocity when it
leaves the barrel, commonly known as the muzzle velocity?

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A 7.79 m/s
B 51.0 m/s
C 510 m/s
D 1,020 m/s
Solution The correct answer is (C).

Short Answer
3.1 Acceleration
21 True or false—The vector for a negative acceleration points in the opposite direction
when compared to the vector for a positive acceleration.
A True
B False
Solution The correct answer is (A). The direction a vector points is selected by the person
solving the problem, but positive and negative vectors always point 180° from one
another.
22 If a car decelerates from 20 m/s to 15 m/s in 5 s, what is

B
C 1 m/s
D 5 m/s
Solution The correct answer is (A). The car’s change in velocity is the difference between its
final velocity and its initial velocity with the sign indicating if it is slowing down or
speeding up. In this case, results in a negative change in velocity of
5 m/s.
23 How is the vector arrow representing an acceleration of magnitude 3 m/s2 different from
the vector arrow representing a negative acceleration of magnitude 3 m/s2?
A They point in the same direction.
B They are perpendicular, forming a 90° angle between each other.
C They point in opposite directions.
D They are perpendicular, forming a 270° angle between each other.

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Solution The correct answer is (C). A positive vector and a negative vector will point in
opposite directions.
24 How long does it take to accelerate from 8.0 m/s to 20.0 m/s at a rate of acceleration of
3.0 m/s2?
A 0.25 s
E 4.0 s
F 9.33 s
G 36 s
Solution The correct answer is (B).

3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs

25 If a plot of displacement versus time is linear, what can be said about the acceleration?
A Acceleration is zero.
H Acceleration is a nonzero constant.
I Acceleration is positive.
J Acceleration is negative.
Solution The correct answer is (A). Acceleration is zero, because the velocity is either
constant or zero if the displacement vs time is linear.
26 True or false—The image shows a velocity vs. time graph for a jet car. If you take the slope
at any point on the graph, the jet car’s acceleration will be 5.0 m/s 2.

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A True
B False
Solution The correct answer is (A). You find the slope of a line on this graph by determining
the change in velocity over the change in time, which is 5.0 m/s 2 regardless of where
you choose your two points.
27 When plotted on the blank plots, which answer choice would show the motion of an
object that has uniformly accelerated from 2 m/s to 8 m/s in 3 s?

A The plot on the left shows a line from (0, 2) to (3, 8), while the plot on the right shows
a line from (0, 2) to (3, 2).
B The plot on the left shows a line from (0, 2) to (3, 8), while the plot on the right shows
a line from (0, 3) to (3, 3).
C The plot on the left shows a line from (0, 8) to (3, 2), while the plot on the right shows
a line from (0, 2) to (3, 2).
D The plot on the left shows a line from (0, 8) to (3, 2), while the plot on the right shows
a line from (0, 3) to (3, 3).
Solution The correct answer is (A). The data points are plotted on the velocity versus time
graph based on the given information of 2 m/s at 0 s and 8 m/s at 3 s. The points for
the acceleration versus time graph are determined by finding the acceleration using
a kinematic equation and drawing a horizontal line, representing a constant
acceleration, at that value, 3 m/s2.
28 When is a plot of velocity versus time a straight line and when is it a curved line?
A It is a straight line when acceleration is changing and is a curved line when
acceleration is constant.
B It is a straight line when acceleration is constant and is a curved line when acceleration
is changing.

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C It is a straight line when velocity is constant and is a curved line when velocity is
changing.
D It is a straight line when velocity is changing and is a curved line when velocity is
constant.
Solution The correct answer is (B). It is a straight line when acceleration is constant, and it is a
curved line when acceleration is changing. A straight line in a velocity vs. time graph
means that the acceleration is uniform and smooth over the motion. If the line is
curved, the velocity increases or decreases at different rates in different times.
Extended Response
3.1 Acceleration
29 A test car carrying a crash test dummy accelerates from 0 to 30 m/s and then crashes into
a brick wall. Describe the direction of the initial acceleration vector and compare the
initial acceleration vector’s magnitude with respect to the crash acceleration magnitude.
A The direction of the initial acceleration vector will point towards the wall, and its
magnitude will be less than the acceleration vector of the crash.
E The direction of the initial acceleration vector will point away from the wall, and its
magnitude will be less than the vector of the crash.
F The direction of the initial acceleration vector will point towards the wall, and its
magnitude will be more than the acceleration vector of the crash.
G The direction of the initial acceleration vector will point away from the wall, and its
magnitude will be more than the acceleration vector of the crash.
Solution The correct answer is (A). Initial acceleration vector is relatively short and points
toward the wall, that is, in the direction of motion. The acceleration vector for the
crash points away from the wall and is much longer.
30 A car accelerates from rest at a stop sign at a rate of 3.0 m/s2 to a speed of 21.0 m/s, and
then immediately begins to decelerate to a stop at the next stop sign at a rate of 4.0 m/s 2.
How long did it take the car to travel from the first stop sign to the second stop sign?
Show your work.
A 1.7 s
H 5.3 s
I 7.0 s
J 12 s

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Solution The correct answer is (D).

3.2 Representing Acceleration with Equations and Graphs

31 True or false—Consider an object that starts from rest and moves with constant
acceleration. The plot of displacement versus time for such motion is a curved line while
the plot of displacement versus time squared is a straight line.
A True
B False
Solution The correct answer is (A). This is true because the slope of the first graph is velocity,
while the slope of the second graph is acceleration.
32 You throw a ball straight up with an initial velocity of 15.0 m/s. It passes a tree branch on
the way up at a height of 7.00 m. How much additional time will pass before the ball
passes the tree branch on the way back down?
A 0.574 s
B 0.956 s
C 1.53 s
D 1.91 s
Solution The correct answer is (D). The first time found is the time from passing the branch to
the top of the arc. This time must be doubled to find the total time.

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Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual