Acceleration Physics Example 4

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

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A cyclist accelerates uniformly from

4 \text{ m/s}

12 \text{ m/s}

over

8 \text{ seconds}

. (a) What is the acceleration? (b) How far does the cyclist travel during this time?

1
(a) $a = \frac{v - u}{t} = \frac{12 - 4}{8} = 1 \text{ m/s}^2$ .
2
(b) $s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2 = 4(8) + \frac{1}{2}(1)(64) = 32 + 32 = 64 \text{ m}$ . Or: $s = \frac{u + v}{2} \times t = \frac{4 + 12}{2} \times 8 = 64 \text{ m}$ .

Answer

(a)\; 1 \text{ m/s}^2; \quad (b)\; 64 \text{ m}

Uniform acceleration means a constant rate of velocity change. The SUVAT equations relate the five kinematic variables (

s, u, v, a, t

). Using

s = \frac{u+v}{2} \times t

is often the quickest approach.

About Acceleration

The rate at which an object's velocity changes over time, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

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