Physics P Worksheet 3-4: Acceleration Problems

Worksheet
3-4 Acceleration Problems

1. A poorly tuned Geo Metro can accelerate from rest to a

speed of 28 m/s in 20 s.
a. What is the average acceleration of the car?

Velocity (m/s)
b. What distance does it travel in this time?

Time (s)

2. At t = 0 a car has a speed of 30 m/s. At t = 6 s its speed is

14 m/s. What is its average acceleration during this time
interval?

Velocity (m/s) Time (s)

3. A bear spies some honey and takes off from rest,

accelerating at a rate of 2 m/s2. If the honey is 16 m away,
how fast will his snout be going when it reaches the treat?
Velocity (m/s)

Time (s)

4. A bus moving at 20 m/s (t = 0) slows at a rate of 4 m/s

each second.
a. How long does it take the bus to stop?
Velocity (m/s)

b. How far does it travel while braking?

Time (s)
Physics P Worksheet 3-4: Acceleration Problems

5. A student skis down a hill, accelerating at a constant

2 m/s2. If it takes her 15 s to reach the bottom, what
is the length of the slope?

Velocity (m/s)
Time (s)

6. A dog runs down his driveway with an initial speed of

5 m/s for 8 s, then uniformly increases his speed to 10 m/s
in 5 s.

Velocity (m/s)
a. What was his acceleration during the 2nd part of the
motion?

b. How long is the driveway?

Time (s)

7. A mountain goat starts a rock slide and the rocks crash

down the slope 100 m. If the rocks reach the bottom in
5 s, what is their acceleration?
Velocity (m/s)

Time (s)

8. A car whose initial speed is 30 m/s slows uniformly to

10 m/s in 5 seconds.
a. Determine the acceleration of the car.
Velocity (m/s)

b. Determine the distance it travels in the 3rd second

(t = 2 s to t = 3 s).

Time (s)
Physics P Worksheet 3-4: Acceleration Problems

1a. 30
∆𝑣
𝑎≡ 20
∆𝑡

Velocity (m/s)
28 m/s 10
𝑎=
20 s 0
𝑎 = 1.4 m/𝑠 2 5 10 15 20
-10

-20
1b.
∆𝑥 = 45∆𝑡∆𝑣 -30
Time (s)
∆𝑥 = 45 20 s 28 m/s
∆𝑥 = 280 m

2. 30
∆𝑣
𝑎≡ 20
∆𝑡

Velocity (m/s)
14 m/s − 30 m/s 10
𝑎=
6s 0
𝑎 = −2.7 m/𝑠 2 1 2 3 4 5 6
-10

-20

-30
Time (s)

3. 10
∆𝑥 = 45∆𝑡∆𝑣 ∆𝑣 = 𝑎∆𝑡
2 s2
∆𝑣 = 2𝑎∆𝑥 5 2 m/
Velocity (m/s)

a=
∆𝑣 = 2𝑎∆𝑥 Δx = 16 m

∆𝑣 = 2 2 m/s 2 16 m 0
1 2 3 4 5
∆𝑣 = 8 m/s
-5

-10
Time (s)
Physics P Worksheet 3-4: Acceleration Problems

4a. 20
∆:
𝑎≡ a=
-4
∆; m/
∆𝑣 10 s2

Velocity (m/s)
∆𝑡 =
𝑎
-20 m/s 0
∆𝑡 = 1 2 3 4 5
-4 m/s 2
-10
∆𝑡 = 5 𝑠
-20
4b. Time (s)
∆𝑥 = 45∆𝑡∆𝑣
∆𝑥 = 45 5 s 20 m/s
∆𝑥 = 50 m

5. 40
∆:
𝑎≡
∆; 2
20 m/s
∆𝑣 = 𝑎∆𝑡 2

Velocity (m/s)
a=
∆𝑣 = 2 m/s 2 15 s
0
∆𝑣 = 30 m/s 5 10 15
∆𝑥 = 45∆𝑡∆𝑣
-20
∆𝑥 = 45 15 s 30 m/s
∆𝑥 = 225 m -40
Time (s)

6a. 10
∆𝑣
𝑎≡
∆𝑡
Velocity (m/s)

10 m/s − 5 m/s
𝑎=
5s 0
𝑎 = 1 m/𝑠 2 5 10 15

6b. For the first 8 s:

∆𝑥 = 𝑣∆𝑡 -10
∆𝑥 = 5 m/s 8 s Time (s)

∆𝑥 = 40 m

For the second 5 s:

∆𝑥 = 𝑣> ∆𝑡 + 45∆𝑡∆𝑣
@
∆𝑥 = 5 m/s 5 s + 2
5 s 10 m/s − 5 m/s
∆𝑥 = 37.5 m

The total distance is:

∆𝑥 = 40 m + 37.5 m
∆𝑥 = 77.5 m
Physics P Worksheet 3-4: Acceleration Problems

7. 20
∆𝑥 = 45∆𝑡∆𝑣
2∆𝑥 10
∆𝑣 =

Velocity (m/s)
∆𝑡 Δx = 100 m
2 100 m 0
∆𝑣 = 1 2 3 4 5
5s
∆𝑣 = 20 m/s -10
∆𝑣
𝑎≡
∆𝑡 -20
20 m/s − 0 Time (s)
𝑎=
5s
𝑎 = 4 m/𝑠 2

8a. 30
∆𝑣
𝑎≡ 20
∆𝑡

Velocity (m/s)
10 m/s − 30 m/s 10
𝑎=
5s 0
𝑎 = −4 m/𝑠 2 1 2 3 4 5
-10

-20
8b.
∆𝑥 = 𝑣A ∆𝑡 + 45∆𝑡∆𝑣 -30
4 Time (s)
∆𝑥 = 18 m/s 1 s + 5
1 s 4 m/s
∆𝑥 = 20 m