What is Nonzero Acceleration and How to Find the Lowest Value?

[billybobay]

Homework Statement

finding the lowest non zero acceleration in a lab

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

the question has asked to find the lowest non zero acceleration, I can't find what nonzero acceleration exactly is. does that mean the acceleration rate is any given number besides 0? if an object is moving in one direction because of the initial velocity and then reverses directions because of a fan and the acceleration rate is -.048 the entire time the object is in motion before it hits a wall, does that mean that is a non zero acceleration rate? or would I need to find the lowest positive acceleration rate of the object when it is just moving in the one direction?

 

[SammyS]

I expect that it means the smallest non-zero acceleration in terms of magnitude.

The issue of whether an acceleration is positive or negative, merely depends on which direction is chosen as the positive direction.