Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Initial velocity, v0 = -686 m/s
Final velocity, v1 = 686 m/s
Time, Δt = 3.78*10-13 s
average acceleration = (v1-v0)/Δt
The average speed of a nitrogen molecule in air is about 686 m/s, and its mass is 4.85×10-26 kg. If it takes 3.78×10-13 s for a nitrogen molecule to hit a wall and rebound with the same speed but moving in the opposite direction, what is the magnitude of the average acceleration of the molecule during this time interval?
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