Solving Acceleration Word Problems

Acceleration Word Problem #1

A Gravitron Ride to Remember
by: Ashley, Abhi, Rachel

Questions for Readers

1.What is another term for negative acceleration and provide an example of it in the article
provided?
Another term for negative acceleration is deceleration. It is shown in the article when the
ride slows down after reaching its maximum speed.
2.Which of the two things in the article provided has a greater rate of acceleration as compared
to the other person? Provide evidence to support your answer.
Phone acceleration=3.67m/s - 0m/s=3.67m/s / 3s = 1.22m/s 2

Ride acceleration=24r/m - 0r/m= 24m/s / 1.5min= 16r/m 2

The Ride has a greater acceleration as demonstrated by the work and answers above.
3.What term and/or phrase did the writer use in the article to imply that one of the two things is
at rest, as in it’s not moving?
The writer uses the word “stops” to imply that the ride is at rest, and that it is no longer
rotating.
4.What two (or more) pieces of information did the writer include in the article that are irrelevant
and/or misleading to the reader, as in they are not useful in calculating either speed or
acceleration?
The first piece of irrelevant information was the time they went to the carnival, 5pm, this
is unnecessary in finding the acceleration. The second piece of irrelevant information
was the amount of time they waited in line, 45 minutes, This is unnecessary in finding the
acceleration of the ride.

Acceleration Word Problem #2

Water Bottle Flipping Competition
By:Samantha, Ben L, and Biana
1. What is another term for negative acceleration and provide an example of it in the article
provided?
Another term for negative acceleration is deceleration, and it is shown in the article when
Liza’s bottle slows to 1 m/s when falling after it hits the ceiling.
2.Which of the two things in the article provided has a greater rate of acceleration as compared
to the other person? Provide evidence to support your answer.
Spencer’s water bottle = 2m/s - 0m/s = 2m/s / 2s = 1m/s 2

Liza’s water bottle = 1.5m/s - 1m/s = 0.5m/s / 6s = 0.08m/s 2

Spencer’s water bottle has a greater acceleration than Liza’s water bottle as
demonstrated by the work and answers above.
3. What term and/or phrase did the writer use in the article to imply that one of the two things is
at rest, as in it’s not moving?
The term that the writer used to represent one or more things at rest was “Without any
prior movement”. The statement tells us that the bottle was starting at rest and had not
moved before that.
4.What two (or more) pieces of information did the writer include in the article that are irrelevant
and/or misleading to the reader, as in they are not useful in calculating either speed or
acceleration?
An irrelevant piece of information is the ages of the contestants as that has nothing to do
with the acceleration. Another irrelevant piece of information is that the mass of the
water bottles is given and that is unnecessary for the calculation of acceleration.