An automobile is travelling west. Can it have velocity towards west and at the same time can it have acceleration towards the east? Under what circumstances.

In physics, velocity refers to the speed and direction of motion, while acceleration refers to the rate at which an object's velocity changes. Let's consider the situation where an automobile is traveling west.

To answer your question, it is indeed possible for an automobile traveling west to have velocity towards the west while also having acceleration towards the east. This can happen when the automobile is slowing down or decelerating.

When an automobile is slowing down, its velocity (westward in this case) decreases. However, if the rate at which the velocity decreases is greater than zero, it means the automobile is experiencing acceleration (towards the east). This acceleration in the opposite direction helps to decelerate the automobile.

To better understand this situation, let's break it down into a hypothetical scenario:

1. Imagine the automobile is initially traveling west with a certain velocity, let's say 60 km/h.

2. Now, suppose the driver applies the brakes gradually, causing the automobile to slow down.

3. As the automobile slows down, its velocity decreases, but it is still moving westward.

4. However, since the automobile is undergoing deceleration (negative acceleration), the change in velocity is happening towards the east. This is because the acceleration is opposing the westward motion, causing the automobile to slow down.

So, to summarize, an automobile can have a westward velocity and an eastward acceleration (deceleration) if it is slowing down. It is important to note that the direction of acceleration is determined by the change in velocity, which in this scenario is opposite to the direction of the original velocity.