Physics general question about accleration

In summary, acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time, and it is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. It is different from velocity in that it measures how quickly the velocity is changing, while velocity measures how fast an object is moving. Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass, meaning that as mass increases, acceleration decreases. Some real-life examples of acceleration include a car accelerating from a stop, a roller coaster going down a steep drop, and a person jumping off a diving board.
  • #1
hager
2
0
If you push an object on an incline up at force of 20N and the accleration is negative would that mean the object will start to go down or does that mean it will deacclerate to a stop.
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF.

It depends what the initial velocity is when you start pushing it. I.e., is the initial velocity positive, zero, or negative.
 
  • #3


The direction of acceleration is determined by the direction of the net force acting on the object. In this case, if the object is being pushed up the incline with a force of 20N, the net force is also directed up the incline. This means that the acceleration will also be directed up the incline, in the same direction as the net force. Therefore, the object will not start to go down, but rather it will continue to move up the incline with a decreasing speed until it eventually comes to a stop due to the opposing force of friction. The negative acceleration simply indicates that the object is slowing down in the direction of motion.
 

1. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

2. How is acceleration calculated?

Acceleration can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. The formula for acceleration is a = (vf - vi)/t, where a is acceleration, vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, and t is time.

3. What is the difference between acceleration and velocity?

Velocity is the rate of change of an object's displacement over time, while acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. In simpler terms, velocity tells us how fast an object is moving, while acceleration tells us how quickly the velocity is changing.

4. How is acceleration affected by mass?

Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass. This means that as mass increases, acceleration decreases, and vice versa. This is because heavier objects require more force to accelerate at the same rate as lighter objects.

5. What are some real-life examples of acceleration?

Some common examples of acceleration in everyday life include a car accelerating from a stop, a roller coaster accelerating down a steep drop, and a person jumping off a diving board and accelerating towards the water. Even something as simple as dropping a ball and watching it fall is an example of acceleration due to gravity.

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