If the velocity of a sailboat changes from 4 m/s to 2 m/s over a period of time, what is true of the sailboat's acceleration?

When analyzing the sailboat's change in velocity, it's important to recognize that acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. In this case, the sailboat's speed changes from 4 m/s to 2 m/s. Since the speed decreases, this indicates that the boat is slowing down.

Acceleration can be calculated using the formula:

[

a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}

]

where (\Delta v) is the change in velocity. Here, the change in velocity is from 4 m/s to 2 m/s, which is a decrease of 2 m/s. If this change occurs over a certain time period, the resultant acceleration will be negative because the velocity is decreasing.

Negative acceleration is often referred to as deceleration, highlighting that the object is losing speed. Therefore, in this scenario, the sailboat's acceleration is indeed negative, as it transitions from a higher velocity to a lower one. This negative acceleration plays a crucial role in understanding how forces act on the sailboat, particularly in terms of resistance from water and wind.