To find the acceleration of the bus, we can use the formula for acceleration:
a = (v_f – v_i) / t
Where:
- a = acceleration
- v_f = final velocity
- v_i = initial velocity
- t = time
In this case, the initial velocity (v_i) is 80 km/h, the final velocity (v_f) is 60 km/h, and the time (t) is 5 seconds.
Before proceeding, we need to convert the velocities from kilometers per hour to meters per second because the standard unit for acceleration is meters per second squared (m/s²). To convert km/h to m/s, we divide by 3.6.
So,
- v_i = 80 km/h = 80 / 3.6 ≈ 22.22 m/s
- v_f = 60 km/h = 60 / 3.6 ≈ 16.67 m/s
Now, we can plug these values into the acceleration formula:
a = (v_f – v_i) / t
a = (16.67 m/s – 22.22 m/s) / 5 s
a = (-5.55 m/s) / 5 s
a = -1.11 m/s²
The negative sign indicates that the bus is decelerating. Therefore, the acceleration of the bus is approximately -1.11 m/s².