Physics

Problem

The position of a toy car moving along a straight line is recorded every

2\,\text{s}

as follows:

t=0\,\text{s}:\;0\,\text{m}

t=2\,\text{s}:\;2\,\text{m}

t=4\,\text{s}:\;6\,\text{m}

t=6\,\text{s}:\;12\,\text{m}

Which statement best describes the motion of the car over the

6\,\text{s}

interval? a) Uniform motion at

2\,\text{m/s}

. b) Non-uniform motion with decreasing speed. c) Non-uniform motion with increasing speed. d) Non-uniform motion with constant acceleration of

1\,\text{m/s}^2

Intuitive explanation

The key is to recognize that constant velocity produces equal position changes in equal time intervals, while constant acceleration produces increasing position changes. Calculate the displacement during each 2-second interval—if these intervals are getting larger, the car is speeding up uniformly. This tells you whether the motion is uniform or accelerated, and you can even estimate the acceleration by seeing how much the displacement increases each period.

Intuitive explanation

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