Why is an objects velocity zero at max acceleration – [Free] B63
Why is an objects velocity zero at max acceleration
🚀 Why is an Object’s Velocity Zero at Maximum Acceleration?
Question
Answer
✅ This question addresses a common confusion between the concepts of velocity and acceleration, which are two distinct quantities:
- Velocity is the rate of change of position (with direction).
- Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
🌟 Example: Projectile Thrown Upward
Consider a projectile thrown straight up. At its highest point:
- The vertical velocity becomes zero because the object stops moving upward before starting to fall back down.
- However, the acceleration due to gravity remains constant (and is at its maximum magnitude) throughout the motion.
👉 Even though velocity is zero at that instant, gravity still acts on the object, immediately changing its velocity to downward.
🌟 Mathematical Perspective
If v(t) is the velocity and a(t) is the acceleration:
At the peak, v(t) = 0, but a(t) ≠ 0.
✨ Summary
🚩 An object can have zero velocity at an instant (like at the peak of its trajectory) but still have non-zero acceleration. This is because acceleration depends on the forces acting on the object, which continue to act regardless of the object’s instantaneous velocity.
Final Answer: At the highest point, velocity is zero, but acceleration remains constant and maximum due to the acting force (like gravity).