If a car accelerates uniformly from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds, what is the average acceleration?

If a car accelerates uniformly from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds, what is the average acceleration?

• A. 0.6 mph per second
• B. 1.0 mph per second
• C. 10 mph per second
• D. 6 mph per second

Answer: (D)

Acceleration is how quickly velocity changes. The average acceleration over a time interval equals (final velocity minus initial velocity) divided by the time taken. Here, starting from rest and reaching 60 mph in 10 seconds gives a change of 60 mph over 10 s. 60 ÷ 10 = 6, so the average acceleration is 6 mph per second. That means the speed increases by 6 mph each second. The other options would imply different total increases over the 10-second interval (for example, 0.6 mph/s would yield only 6 mph in 10 s, 1.0 mph/s would yield 10 mph in 10 s, and 10 mph/s would yield 100 mph in 10 s).

Acceleration is how quickly velocity changes. The average acceleration over a time interval equals (final velocity minus initial velocity) divided by the time taken. Here, starting from rest and reaching 60 mph in 10 seconds gives a change of 60 mph over 10 s. 60 ÷ 10 = 6, so the average acceleration is 6 mph per second. That means the speed increases by 6 mph each second. The other options would imply different total increases over the 10-second interval (for example, 0.6 mph/s would yield only 6 mph in 10 s, 1.0 mph/s would yield 10 mph in 10 s, and 10 mph/s would yield 100 mph in 10 s).