Stimulatingquestions

Ifaparticle'svelocityiszero,canitsaccelerationbenonzero?
Anobjectthrownverticallyupwarduponreachingitsmaximumheightwillmomentarilystopatthetop.
Themagnitudeofitsvelocityiszero.However,theobject'sacceleration,whichis9.8m/s^2downward
isnotzero.Tosaythattheaccelerationiszeroislikesayingthatgravityisturnedoffjustbecausethe
objecthasreachedamaximumheight.Itisbecauseofthisdownwardaccelerationoftheobjectthatit
finallystopsatitshighesttpointafterwhichitgoesdown.

Ifthevelocityofaparticleisnonzero,cantheaccelerationbezero?Why?
1yes.Iftheforcesactingontheamovingparticleareinequilibrium,(e.g.whenasphericalobject
reachesterminalvelocity(neglectingincreasedairresistanceasitgetsclosertotheground))thenthe
particlewillbemovingatavelocity,thatisnot0,yetthevelocitywillremainconstant,andthebodywill
notaccelerateordecelerateinanydirection,andthustheaccelerationis0.
2Ifthevelocityequalszero,theaccelerationisalsozerobecausethevelocityhasn'tchanged,thus,the
particleisn'tacceleratinganywhere.
1Yes:Accelerationisthemeasurementofthechangeinvelocity.Example:Ifanobjectismovingata
constantspeed,thenit'sacceliszero,duetotherebeingnochange(noincreaseordecrease)inthe
velocity
2.Yes:Accelerationisthemeasurementofthechangeinvelocity.Example:Ifanobjectismovingata
constantspeed(i.e.aspeedofzeroisaconstantspeed),thenit'sacceliszero,duetotherebeingno
change(noincreaseordecrease)inthevelocity.

Twocarsaremovinginthesamedirectioninparallellanesalongahighway.Atsomeinstant,the
velocityofcarAexceedsthevelocityofCarB.DoesthismeanthattheaccelerationofCarAisgreater
thanCarB's?Explain.
BestAnswer:Theaccelerationisnotnecessarilygreater.
Thesituationthatwasstatedsaysnothingaboutwhetherthecarsstartedatthesametime,nor
whethertheiraccelerationsareconstant.
Oneofmanypossiblesituations:Astartsdrivingat10:00:00amandacceleratesat1mphpersecondfor
60seconds.Bstartsdrivingat10:00:45amandacceleratesat2mphpersecondfor15seconds.The
timeisnow10:01:00,andcarAisgoing60mph.CarBisonlygoing30mph,despiteacceleratingtwice
asfast.

youcannotsayanythingabouttheaccelerationsofthecars
accelerationtellsyouabouttherateofchangeofvelocity,notjustthevalueofthevelocity
supposecarAistravelingat50mphbutwasslowingdownfrom60mph,andcarBistravelingata
constantspeedof35mph
inthiscase,theaccelerationofAisless(negative)thanthezeroaccelerationofB,yetthevelocityand
speedofAisgreaterthanthespeedofB