Question pattern: Uniform acceleration basics
Original question 1 of 1 in this pattern
Uniform acceleration basics
An electric cart moves along a straight track. Its speed increases uniformly from 4.0 m s⁻¹ to 10.0 m s⁻¹ in 3.0 s.
Calculate:
a) the acceleration of the cart;
b) the displacement of the cart during the 3.0 s interval.
Worked answer
Solution
- Step 1
Calculate the acceleration using
(v - u) / t. - Step 2
a = (10.0 - 4.0) / 3.0 = 2.0 m s⁻². - Step 3
Calculate the average velocity:
(4.0 + 10.0) / 2 = 7.0 m s⁻¹. - Step 4
Calculate displacement:
s = 7.0 × 3.0 = 21 m.
Final answer
Acceleration = 2.0 m s⁻²; displacement = 21 m.
Common mistake
Using the final velocity multiplied by time instead of the average velocity.
Concepts tested
- acceleration
- displacement
- uniform acceleration
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