Questions: A racehorse coming out of the gate accelerates from rest to a velocity of 15.0 m / s due west in 1.80 s. What is its average acceleration?

Transcript text: A racehorse coming out of the gate accelerates from rest to a velocity of $15.0 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}$ due west in 1.80 s . What is its average acceleration?

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Identify the given values

Initial velocity ($v_0$): $0 \, \mathrm{m/s}$ (since the horse starts from rest)
Final velocity ($v_f$): $15.0 \, \mathrm{m/s}$ due west
Time ($t$): $1.80 \, \mathrm{s}$

Step 2: Use the formula for average acceleration

The formula for average acceleration ($a$) is: \[ a = \frac{v_f - v_0}{t} \]

Step 3: Substitute the given values into the formula

\[ a = \frac{15.0 \, \mathrm{m/s} - 0 \, \mathrm{m/s}}{1.80 \, \mathrm{s}} \]

Step 4: Calculate the average acceleration

\[ a = \frac{15.0 \, \mathrm{m/s}}{1.80 \, \mathrm{s}} \] \[ a = 8.33 \, \mathrm{m/s^2} \]

The average acceleration of the racehorse is $8.33 \, \mathrm{m/s^2}$ due west.