A car starts with a velocity of 10 m/s and comes to rest in 25 m. Calculate its acceleration.

Question

ScanSolve AI Tutor · Accepted Answer

❌ Incorrect.

Your setup of the variables and the kinematic equation is correct, but there is an error in the algebraic manipulation to solve for $a$ .

Identify the given values.
- Initial velocity, $U = 10 \text{ m/s}$
- Final velocity, $V = 0 \text{ m/s}$ (comes to rest)
- Displacement, $S = 25 \text{ m}$
- Acceleration, $a = ?$
Apply the kinematic equation.
$V^2 = U^2 + 2aS$
Substitute the values.
$0^2 = (10)^2 + 2(a)(25)$ $0 = 100 + 50a$
Solve for $a$ .
To isolate $a$ , first subtract 100 from both sides:
$-100 = 50a$
Then, divide by 50:
$a = \frac{-100}{50}$ $a = -2 \text{ m/s}^2$
The acceleration is $\boxed{-2 \text{ m/s}^2}$ . The negative sign indicates deceleration.

Answer