How to find the average accleration on a velocity time graph

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 4K views
wittlebittle
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
My physics problem ask me to find the average acceleration on a velocity time graph. On the graph, velocity is at -6 constantly from 0 - 5 s.



I know that an question to use would be average accerlation = delta v/ delta t



The problem is I did that and I still got it incorrect on quest! I did -6 over 5s - 0s
The answer I got was -1.2 please help to tell me what I'm doing wrong and what equation I should be using! Thanks so much!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
wittlebittle said:
My physics problem ask me to find the average acceleration on a velocity time graph. On the graph, velocity is at -6 constantly from 0 - 5 s.
I know that an question to use would be average accerlation = delta v/ delta t
The problem is I did that and I still got it incorrect on quest! I did -6 over 5s - 0s
The answer I got was -1.2 please help to tell me what I'm doing wrong and what equation I should be using! Thanks so much!
If the velocity was -6 during that whole period, is there any change in velocity? So what is Δv? (hint: think of acceleration as the slope of a velocity-time graph).

AM