"from zero to sixty in 8 seconds" is a description of:
a) average speed
b) instantaneous speed
c)average acceleration
d) instantaneous acceleration
I know for sure that a) and c) aren't the right answers since average is over a long time period or the whole trip. I believe b) is the correct answer since speed is a scalar.
It is average acceleration over the eight second period.
THANKS
CORRECT
To determine the correct answer, let's break down the terms provided in the description:
"from zero to sixty in 8 seconds" refers to the time it takes to accelerate from a stationary position (zero speed) to a speed of sixty.
a) Average speed: This term refers to the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken. Since the description only mentions the time taken to achieve a certain speed, it does not provide information about the total distance traveled. Therefore, average speed is not applicable here.
b) Instantaneous speed: This term refers to the speed of an object at a particular moment in time. In this case, the description indicates the speed at two specific points: zero and sixty. Instantaneous speed does not consider the time taken to reach these speeds, so it is not the correct answer.
c) Average acceleration: This term refers to the change in velocity divided by the time taken. In the given description, the change in velocity is from zero to sixty. However, since the time taken to achieve this change is provided (8 seconds), we can calculate the average acceleration.
d) Instantaneous acceleration: This term refers to the rate at which an object's velocity changes at a particular moment in time. The description does not provide any information about the acceleration at any specific moment, so it is not the correct answer.
Based on the analysis, the correct answer is c) average acceleration.