Question

1. which person below has a negative acceleration but is speeding up?

a figure skater that is skating backward and preparing for a jump
a skier slaloming down a hill on their skies
a member on a bobsled team that is pushing off to accelerate their sled
a hockey player skidding to a stop on the ice

Explanation:

Step1: Define negative acceleration

Negative acceleration (de - acceleration) occurs when an object's velocity is decreasing in the positive - defined direction or increasing in the negative - defined direction.

Step2: Analyze each option

• A figure skater skating backward and speeding up: If we define the forward direction as positive, the skater moving backward and speeding up means the velocity is in the negative direction and increasing in magnitude. So, there is negative acceleration.
• A skier slaloming down a hill: The skier is speeding up in the downhill direction (usually considered positive in this context), so it has positive acceleration.
• A bobsled team member pushing off to accelerate the sled: The sled is speeding up in the forward (positive - defined) direction, so it has positive acceleration.
• A hockey player skidding to a stop: While it has negative acceleration, it is slowing down, not speeding up.

Answer:

a figure skater that is skating backward and preparing for a jump