Question

A car accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 10 seconds. What is its acceleration?

Answer 1

To calculate the acceleration, you can use the formula:

\[
a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}
\]

where:
- \(a\) is the acceleration,
- \(\Delta v\) is the change in velocity,
- \(\Delta t\) is the change in time.

In this case:
- The initial velocity (\(v_i\)) is 0 km/h,
- The final velocity (\(v_f\)) is 60 km/h,
- The time interval (\(\Delta t\)) is 10 seconds.

First, calculate the change in velocity (\(\Delta v\)):

\[
\Delta v = v_f - v_i = 60 \, \text{km/h} - 0 \, \text{km/h} = 60 \, \text{km/h}
\]

Next, convert the velocity from km/h to m/s. To do this, use the conversion factor \(1 \, \text{km/h} = \frac{1}{3.6} \, \text{m/s}\):

\[
60 \, \text{km/h} = 60 \times \frac{1}{3.6} \, \text{m/s} \approx 16.67 \, \text{m/s}
\]

Now plug the values into the acceleration formula:

\[
a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} = \frac{16.67 \, \text{m/s}}{10 \, \text{s}} \approx 1.67 \, \text{m/s}^2
\]

Therefore, the acceleration of the car is approximately **1.67 m/s²**.