Question

Can you have a zero acceleration but non zero velocity? Explain with the help of a graph.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Zero acceleration merely means the velocity is not changing. For a an object not changing direction the graph would be merely be a straight line on a plot labeled speed on vertical axis and time on the horizontal.

We know, that acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

That is, a = dv/dt

Now, if acceleration is 0, we have

dv/dt = 0, which implies that v is constant.

This constant value can be any real number, including 0.

Hence it is possible for a body to have zero acceleration and non zero velocity.

Suppose a situation in which, an object moves on an inclined plane, whose upper half is frictionless, while lower half has a friction coefficient such that the maximum frictional force just equals the component of weight along the incline. The object attains some speed in the first half since there is a net acceleration down the incline, but as soon as it enters the lower half, the forces along the incline cancel out, and it continues to move with the same speed with which it entered the lower half.