Particals along a straight line

[Confused_07]

Homework Statement

Starting from rest, a particle confined to move along a straight line is accelerated at a rate of 5 m/s^2.

Homework Equations

Does this mean that each second the particle's speed increases by 5m/s^2, or does it's speed stay at 5 m/s^2 and travels only 5 meters per second?

 

[G01]

To help you answer your own question, I'll ask you a different one.

What is the definition of acceleration? If you know this, then you should be able to pick the right choice of the question you posed.

 

[m2003]

The statement indicates that the particle is accelerating at a rate of 5 m/s^2. This means that its speed is increasing by 5 meters per second every second. In other words, after the first second, the particle will be traveling at a speed of 5 m/s, after the second second it will be traveling at a speed of 10 m/s, and so on. The distance traveled by the particle in a given time will depend on its initial velocity and the acceleration rate. It is not accurate to say that the particle's speed stays at 5 m/s^2, as speed is a measure of how fast an object is moving, while acceleration is a measure of how much an object's speed changes over time.