Acceleration: Positive, Negative, And Zero Changes In Velocity

Sign of acceleration

+ is accelerating up or right 0 is a constant velocity (no acceleration) – is accelerating down or left

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity. It can be positive, negative or zero. The sign of acceleration depends on the direction of the acceleration vector with respect to the direction of motion of the object.

1. Positive acceleration: This occurs when an object is speeding up in the same direction as its velocity. For example, when a car moves forward in a straight line, its velocity and acceleration will be positive.

2. Negative acceleration (also known as deceleration): This occurs when an object is slowing down in the opposite direction to its velocity. For example, when a car moves forward in a straight line but decreases its speed, its velocity will be positive but its acceleration will be negative.

3. Zero acceleration: This occurs when an object’s velocity is constant, and there is no change in its speed or direction. For example, when a car moves at a constant speed in a straight line, its velocity and acceleration will be zero.

In summary, the sign of acceleration depends on the direction of the change in velocity. Positive acceleration means the object is speeding up, negative acceleration means the object is slowing down and zero acceleration indicates that the velocity of the object is constant.

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