Deceleration and Acceleration: Opposites or One and the Same?

[Balsam]

Homework Statement

If you decelerate in one direction, are you accelerating in the opposite direction? Ex. You are standing in an elevator and are slowing down, going upwards- are you accelerating downwards since you're decelerating in the opposite direction, upwards?

Homework Equations

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The Attempt at a Solution

I think this is true.

 

[mdcl]

Yea, I agree,
While driving if you go from 100mph to 50mph, then in the other direction you are going from -100mph to -50mph, if you take the definition of acceleration as an increase in speed, then yes you are technically accelerating in the other direction even while moving less than 0mph towards it