Can decreasing acceleration be negative acceleration ?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Decreasing acceleration can indeed be classified as negative acceleration, depending on the context. A decelerating body experiences negative acceleration when its acceleration vector opposes its velocity vector. For instance, if an object has an acceleration of -1 m/s² at time t=0 and decreases to -3 m/s² at t=3, it demonstrates both decreasing and negative acceleration. Conversely, an object with positive acceleration that decreases from 5 m/s² to 3 m/s² remains positive, illustrating that decreasing acceleration does not inherently imply negativity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector quantities in physics
  • Basic knowledge of acceleration and deceleration concepts
  • Familiarity with the relationship between velocity and acceleration
  • Ability to interpret acceleration graphs
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the concept of vector acceleration in physics
  • Study the implications of negative acceleration in real-world scenarios
  • Learn about graphical representations of acceleration and velocity
  • Explore case studies involving deceleration in motion analysis
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators explaining motion concepts, and anyone interested in the dynamics of acceleration and deceleration.

Celluhh
Messages
218
Reaction score
0
Can decreasing acceleration be negative acceleration ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Yes a decelerating body will have a negative acceleration.
 


No deceleration is constant not decreasing acceleration
 


Celluhh said:
Can decreasing acceleration be negative acceleration ?

Decreasing acceleration can be, but does not need to be, negative acceleration.

Example #1: decreasing and negative:

t = 0, a = -1
t = 2, a = -2
t = 3, a = -3

Example #2: decreasing and positive:

t = 0, a = 5
t = 1, a = 4
t = 2, a = 3
 


Yeah exactly I agree With you but my teacher insists that I am wrong and claims that decreasing acc cannot be negative acc. Whew ! At least someone has the same thinking as me .
 


Erm but for your first example acc is increasing right ?
 


@Celluhh
since, acceleration is a vector..it can be negative...

If the acceleration is against the velocity of the particle..then it is said to be a negative acceleration...
the sign "negative" simply indicates that acceleration is opposite to velocity vector...
the "negative" sign has nothing to do with the magnitude of the acceleration ...a negative acceleration just means that it is opposite to the direction of motion..
 

Similar threads

High School Acceleration of Moving Particles: Explained
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
High School How Does Constant Power Affect Rocket Acceleration in Space?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
642
High School Deacceleration causes object to move backwards?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
Undergrad Why Does Acceleration Decrease When Velocity Increases in SHM?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Undergrad Negative acceleration, deceleration and decreasing acceleration
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
37K
High School Effect of mass on the acceleration of an elastic pendulum?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
558
High School Is the Earth's gravitational pull constant?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
High School "Accelerations" as higher order derivatives
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
Undergrad Acceleration in Newton's second law
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
High School Why is displacement the integral of acceleration with respect to time? [corrected in thread]
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
739