A particle moves along a horizontal line

MATHEMATICS · Multi-part · A Level · Mathematics · Kinematics · Kinematics

Problem

A particle moves along a horizontal line. Its position is modeled by a twice-differentiable function ss measured in meters, where tt is the time in seconds. At t=1t=1, the particle’s velocity is 3 m/s3\,\text{m/s} and its acceleration is −2 m/s2-2\,\text{m/s}^2. (1) State what the value v(1)=3v(1)=3 indicates about the particle’s motion at t=1 st=1\text{ s}. (2) State what the value a(1)=−2a(1)=-2 indicates about the particle’s motion at t=1 st=1\text{ s}. (3) Explain why the particle’s speed is decreasing at t=1 st=1\text{ s} even though it is moving in the positive direction.

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