Average Acceleration of the object

[icanletyougo]

Homework Statement

The graph of displacement as a function of time of the object is shown below
[PLAIN]http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/8962/displaceemt.jpg
What is the average acceleration of the object ?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

From the graph, I think the object is moving a round trip, so it will have the average velocity = 0, so the object will have average acceleration equal 0 too. But I'm not sure...

 

[tiny-tim]

welcome to pf!

hi icanletyougo! welcome to pf!

hint: suppose the direction of displacement is vertical …

then what is the object doing? ​

 

[icanletyougo]

hi icanletyougo! welcome to pf!

hint: suppose the direction of displacement is vertical …

then what is the object doing? ​

Yea...I know if the direction of displacement is vertical, the acceleration will be equal to the gravity...But if the direction of displacement is horizontal, I'm not sure about its acceleration...Thanks

 

[tiny-tim]

hi icanletyougo!

(just got up :zzz: …)

Yea...I know if the direction of displacement is vertical, the acceleration will be equal to the gravity...But if the direction of displacement is horizontal, I'm not sure about its acceleration...Thanks

the direction makes no difference …

the same graph represents the same speed and acceleration no matter which way up the direction is!

so what is the average acceleration? ​

 

[icanletyougo]

hi icanletyougo!

(just got up :zzz: …)


the direction makes no difference …

the same graph represents the same speed and acceleration no matter which way up the direction is!

so what is the average acceleration? ​

oK...Thank you so much...I got that...:)

 

[gomunkul51]

an approach:

do you know the function of the graph? if not try to synthesize it from given data, probably of the form: x=a(t-b)^2+c.
after you have the function, you know that x''(t) = a(t).

what do you think?