Question

if a car is traveling eastward, can its acceleration be westward?

Answer 1

yeah when it is decelerating.

Answer 2

it's also possible to have negative acceleration but not decelerating right?

Answer 3

negative acceleration and deceleration have same meaning.

Answer 4

but if final velocity and initial velocity are going westward (thus negative) then it's negative acceleration right?

Answer 5

I don't get it. How can final and initial velocities both be westward? can you make a diagram?

Answer 6

uhmm what do you mean?

Answer 7

yeah they can both be westward but that has nothing to do with deceleration.

Answer 8

but they have negative acceleration

Answer 9

here car is going eastward. It has initial acceleration 10 m/s^2 and final acceleration 5m/s^2.. So. basically its acceleration is westwards while it is going eastwards..