At an instant when a particle moving along a straight line has v(t)<0 and a(t)>0, which statement best describes the particle’s speed at that instant?
a) The speed is increasing because the acceleration is positive.
b) The speed is constant because the acceleration cancels the velocity.
c) The speed is decreasing because the velocity and acceleration have opposite signs.
d) The speed cannot be determined without additional information about the particle’s motion.