Sunday, December 27, 2009

Can the velocity of an object be negative when its acceleration is positve?

Sure. Define DOWN as positive.





Gravity (acceleration) is positive.





I throw a ball in the air.





Velocity is negative and acceleration is positive.





This occures whenever the direction of motion is opposed to the force.





-FredCan the velocity of an object be negative when its acceleration is positve?
Yes, the velocity can be negative when the acceleration is positive.





Conceptually, if you take the direction of going ';right'; positive, then going ';left'; is negative. The object can be accelerating positively towards the ';left'; or ';negative velocity'; direction.





Also, a velocity of an object that is negative only specifies the direction. Acceleration is the change in magnitude OR direction OR both of an object's velocity. Therefore, it is true.Can the velocity of an object be negative when its acceleration is positve?
yes, velocity is speed in a given direction. If the object is traveling in the opposite direction in a relative plane of motion, it might be considered to be moving in a negative direction (relative to the positive direction.
Certainly, just swap the signs around.


A positive velocity can decelerate (Have a negative acceleration), just think of it as driving a car in reverse and applying the brakes which brings the negative velocity back to 0 ( which is positive)
when the projected mass encounters a larger heavier mass

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