. It refers to the rate of change in speed or velocity of an object A. Acceleration B. Displacement C. Distance D. Motion
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Acceleration.
Explanation:
Acceleration is defined as the rate at which the velocity of an object changes with time. This means it measures how quickly an object’s speed (or velocity) increases or decreases over a given period. In physics, velocity refers to the speed of an object in a specific direction, and any change in this velocity, whether in magnitude (speeding up or slowing down) or direction (changing the path of motion), is called acceleration.
Mathematically, acceleration is expressed as:a=ΔvΔta = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}a=ΔtΔv
where:
- aaa is the acceleration,
- Δv\Delta vΔv is the change in velocity,
- Δt\Delta tΔt is the time interval during which the change occurs.
Acceleration can be positive or negative. Positive acceleration indicates an increase in speed (for example, a car speeding up), while negative acceleration (also called deceleration) indicates a decrease in speed (like when a car slows down).
To clarify the other options:
- B. Displacement refers to the change in position of an object, measured as a straight line from the starting point to the ending point. It does not involve speed or velocity.
- C. Distance is the total length of the path traveled by an object, without regard to direction. It is a scalar quantity, unlike displacement, which is a vector.
- D. Motion refers to the action of an object changing its position over time. It encompasses both speed and direction, but it is not specifically the rate of change of speed or velocity.
Thus, the concept of acceleration is the one that directly deals with the rate of change of speed or velocity, making it the correct answer.
