Question

A baseball goes from zero to 32m/s in 0.191s. What is its average acceleration?

Answer 1

how is average acceleration defined ?

Answer 2

M/s^2

Answer 3

those look like the correct units for acceleration, but what is acceleration ?

Answer 4

An object that speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.

Answer 5

okay, so acceleration is a change in velocity, which can mean a change in speed, or direction, or both

i don't think you need worry about direction in this question though, just imagine the baseball moving along a straight line and increasing it's speed

Answer 6

Okay do you know how I would set this up and what formula to use?

Answer 7

well yes, the formula is basically just the definition of acceleration, which is why i asked you about it

you need the mathematical expression of acceleration

Answer 8

Yeah I don't know what that is.

Answer 9

The average acceleration of an object in a period of time is the change in velocity divided by the time.

Answer 10

so what is the length of time in your question about the baseball ?

Answer 11

32/ 0.191

Answer 12

And I got 167.539267

Answer 13

that's the correct expression for the average acceleration : )

Answer 14

yes, that looks right

Answer 15

Thank you for all your help

Answer 16

you're welcome - you probably don't want to keep all those decimal places though

Answer 17

Yeah I won't I'm gonna round it

Answer 18

ok