Question

acceleration web quest
click on this link: hyperlink \https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1dkin/lesson-1/acceleration\ acceleration
directions: read through this section. click on animations as necessary.
part 1: understanding acceleration

1. which of the following situations would be considered acceleration?

a. driving 100mph north on michigan road
b. bicycling 20mph around the track
c. coming to a stop before the train tracks
d. taking off when the light turns green

Explanation:

To solve this, we recall the definition of acceleration: a change in velocity (speed or direction).

Analyzing each option:

• Option a: Driving 100 mph North (constant speed, constant direction) → no acceleration.
• Option b: Bicycling 20 mph around a track (direction changes continuously) → velocity changes (direction) → acceleration occurs.
• Option c: Coming to a stop (speed decreases from non - zero to zero) → velocity changes (speed) → acceleration occurs (deceleration is a type of acceleration).
• Option d: Taking off when the light turns green (speed increases from zero to non - zero) → velocity changes (speed) → acceleration occurs.

Answer:

b. bicycling 20mph around the track,
c. Coming to a stop before the train tracks,
d. taking off when the light turns green